Silver Linings and Shooting Stars
by Mystic Lady Fae
Summary: With Loki gone for good, Steve and Adena can begin their great adventures in dating and romance. All is calm and going well, until someone decides the good Captain shouldn't be with the woman he loves. Worse, things get more complicated when Adena starts developing a 'sixth sense,' and can now occasionally tell when things are about to go wrong...
1. Dating Can Lead to Other Adventures

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing related to Marvel, either the comics, movies, TV shows, etc. All of that belongs to the Disney Corporation (though I might try kidnapping Captain America and Hawkeye some day, just for fun).

AN: So here's story three of my trilogy. I have no idea how long this fic will be, but who knows. Anyway, please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 1: Dating Can Lead To Other Adventures:**

After that date and kiss with Cap, I couldn't help feeling like I was like living in a dream.

Most of the time, I found it hard to believe that I was dating my childhood idol. But when it came down to it, I liked him for so many more reasons than that –he was sweet, kind, caring, courteous, and fun to be with. And even though he was a little shy when it came to being around women in general, Cap was openly affectionate towards me; he was always willing to hold my hand in public, and even put his arm around me as we walked down the sidewalk or into a building together.

I had expected a lot of things to change between us, but the only thing that did was that we were steadily growing closer to one another.

Before my second capture by Loki, Cap and I had been friends, but there'd been a sort of unspoken barrier that sort of kept us at a distance from one another. Now that we were dating, the wall had vanished, and we could be more open with each other, which felt very liberating to the both of us. It was rather nice, being able to look over at him and know that we could openly talk about our feelings, as well as anything else.

But of course, like with any other couple, dating had a few bumps along the way.

Bump number one was that I found it both funny and weird that Cap sometimes wanted to hear more stories about me growing up idolizing Captain America. I think he sometimes felt that I liked dating him because of that childhood worship, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Even though I would always admire Captain America's bravery and determination to do what was right for the sake of the world, I loved Steve Rogers for being the good, caring man that he was. Those points I always made that _very_ clear whenever I saw a gleam of doubt in Cap's eyes.

Bump number two had been minor in comparison, and kind of funny when I looked back on it. The 'bump' in our budding relationship had been when Cap tended to apologize when he thought he was doing something wrong on our dates, because he was inexperienced with that sort of thing.

The first time we were at the movie theater, Cap watched guys put their arms around their girlfriend's shoulders, and tried to do the same, but immediately moved away whenever I tried to lean against him. He thought I didn't approve of his gesture, and rather than risk me getting angry at him, Cap instead removed his arm and shifted uncomfortably during the entire movie. It wasn't until after the film that we managed to talk about it, and to our relief, we were able to clear the whole thing up. Now I had someone warm to snuggle against whenever we saw a movie, either at home or at the theater.

Kissing was a more delicate matter, and could easily fall under 'bump number two'.

Back in his day, couples didn't openly (and overly) display their affections, because it 'wasn't acceptable.' In modern times, Cap had seen a _lot_ of couples openly making out in public whenever we were on the street, and was embarrassed about it. Personally, I was okay with the occasional kiss between couples in public, but too much affection tended to annoy me.

In the end, we came to the agreement that we wouldn't be _that_ open about our feelings for each other in public. However, after the first few times we'd kissed, Cap quickly developed the habit of leading me to a secluded spot, where he could steal a kiss away from prying eyes.

I'd once noted that Cap's lips looked very soft –and from first-hand experience, I could very happily brag that I'd been right. I could also happily say that even though Cap's experience with kissing had been almost nonexistent, he was fairly good at it. Of course, I gave him ample opportunity to practice.

And so our days went, routinely during the day, but up-in-the-air during the evenings. Daylight hours were spent teaching Cap about the world, like always, but now that we were dating, lessons tended to go a bit slower than usual –mostly because we tended to distract one another by brushing fingers against one another, or leaning extra-close when observing something on the computer. Occasionally, our eyes would meet, and a quick kiss would be stolen, followed by several minutes of me snuggling against Cap's shoulder while we happily sat on the couch. Then it would be back to business, until the whole thing started over again.

At night, we put lessons aside so that we could relax and unwind. Mostly, it was the two of us going out to dinner, to the movies, or for walks through Central Park. Ordinarily, I'd have been terrified of going into the Park at night, but with Cap walking beside me, I felt perfectly safe.

And some nights, we had a little fun with a few friends…

* * *

"So, how's it going?" Natasha asked, a glass of red wine in her hands as she leaned back on the couch in Tony's living room. "You and the Captain sure look cozy."

I shrugged and tried to look nonchalant. "We're fine."

Honestly, I had a feeling that Natasha, as well as my other SHIELD friends, knew a lot more than they were letting on. I mean, for a bunch of spies who had promised to keep a super-close eye on me, they'd been extremely good about keeping their distance. I hadn't seen a bit of Natasha, Barton, or Phil in the few weeks I'd been dating Cap. In fact, the only reason she and Barton were here at all was because they were "passing through" on another one of their jaunts around the world.

Of course, now that I had Cap with me almost constantly, as well as JT securely in my pocket and Natasha's bracelet around my wrist, my friends had probably decided that I'd be fine. But given that SHIELD was a world-class spy organization headed by Director Fury, I wouldn't be surprised if they had other ways of keeping a subtle eye out for me.

Natasha smirked and took a sip of wine. "Yeah, uh huh," she replied, eying me closely. "You know, I never figured Rogers to be the openly affectionate type. But when I saw you guys holding hands as you got off the elevator…"

Pepper gave a soft chuckle as I blushed. "It's a good thing the guys are downstairs, going over Tony's new Iron Man suit, or else we'd have two people sitting here, looking embarrassed," she teased me.

"Not funny," I grumbled, taking a drink of sparkling cider.

Both of them laughed, but I didn't take it personally. I think they were super-glad that Cap and I had gotten together, and it wouldn't surprise me if Tony had a private bet going on with someone about the whole thing.

"Yeah, yeah, so you're happy I'm dating Cap," I said, rolling my eyes. "I get it."

Pepper snickered. "Actually, I don't think you do. Tony was _this_ _close_," she held up a hand with her forefinger and thumb a tiny bit apart, "to locking you two in the same room together until you both confessed how much you liked each other."

That didn't surprise me. "Let me guess," I slyly replied, "You wanted to do the same thing; didn't you?"

Pepper merely gave me an innocent smile while Natasha snorted. I rolled my eyes. "Fine, so it took a while. But we're dating now, so does that make you happy?"

Natasha shrugged. "Only if it makes _you_ happy." She stretched a little and curled her legs up under her on the chair. It made her looked like a content panther: deceptively lazy, but still very dangerous.

My spy/assassin friend swirled her wine in her glass and pretended to examine it. "Of course, I hope he realized that if he hurts you in any way, he's got to answer to me."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," a male voice said, coming up behind me.

"Steve!" Pepper exclaimed in surprise as I whirled around, almost spilling the contents of my glass. "How'd you sneak in here?" That's when I realized we hadn't heard the elevator arrive, and wondered the same thing.

Cap shrugged. "Bruce and Tony were starting to talk to Barton about archery weaponry. Since I wasn't really interested, I decided to head back upstairs."

"But how'd you get here?" I emphasized.

He shrugged again. "I took the stairs."

For a second, I could only stare at him. "You took the _stairs_?" I asked, wondering if I'd heard right. "We're on the top floor!"

"I felt like exercising," Cap nonchalantly replied as he took a seat next to me on the couch. "I didn't run; just walked. It wasn't so bad. And Tony gave me a key to the door leading to the stairwell, so that I could come in."

My reply froze in my throat as he slipped his arm around my shoulders, gently pulling me close to him and very effectively shut me up. It also caused me to automatically fit myself against him, and I couldn't help but notice that he was running a bit warm. Of course, that was probably from his walk up twenty-odd flights of stairs.

"Aw, you guys are so cute," Pepper said, smiling as I blushed. "Care for a glass of cider, Steve?"

He accepted, and took his glass while I held mine out to be topped off. When all were comfortable in their seats, Natasha decided to stir things up again.

"So, what's the next step for you guys?" she asked, a smile that was part knowing, part teasing on her mouth.

I blushed, though Cap looked puzzled. "Uh, I don't think we'll be doing that anytime soon," I hastily replied, giving Cap an awkward smile before glaring at Natasha. "We've only been dating a few months; there's really no rush to go there."

Her smile turned skeptical. "Oh, so you're the type to wait." She took a quick sip of wine. "Good for you. But that's not what I was indicating. I actually wanted to see if you were planning something along the lines of day-trips somewhere, or mini-vacations to places nearby."

Cap seemed to perk up a little bit at the idea. "Sounds like a good idea," he agreed, turning towards me. "I think a trip somewhere would be nice. The only traveling I've ever done was for the army; it might be fun to travel just for the sake of traveling and a vacation."

What could I say to that?

* * *

The rest of the evening was spent chatting with Pepper, Natasha, and Cap over what sort of trip to take.

Pepper suggested something close by, on the East Coast, so that we could be close to home in case Cap got homesick. She thought maybe a trip to New Jersey, Boston, or Maine would be ideal, with a rented house or bed-and-breakfast close to a beach for sun, surf, and maybe a bit of peace and quiet.

Natasha thought we should go all-out. She suggested Europe, but that seemed a bit extreme (and expensive!) for us. After I quickly shot down that idea, Natasha thought that Pepper's idea of sun and surf would be good, but that we should go somewhere warm and sunny, like Florida or Hawaii.

"I don't think I want to go anywhere too hot or humid," I tentatively told them, not wanting to be a wet blanket on their ideas. Although I'd been to both places, and it had been sunny and beautiful during my stays, I had _not_ enjoyed the humidity, or the heat that occasionally felt oppressive.

"There's always California," Pepper suggested, perking up a little as the idea came to her. "Tony and I are heading out there in a couple weeks. You could join us on the flight, if you want, and stay at one of the properties Tony owns so that you don't have to deal with a hotel. We could even have the maid and butler of that location look after you, if you want."

_That_ was tempting. Most people would have jumped on the offer, but I wasn't so sure -it was almost like taking advantage of Pepper and Tony's generosity, and that didn't seem right. Plus, I wasn't sure if I wanted to go on a vacation with Cap just yet, not when we'd been dating for such a short time.

"That sounds like fun," Natasha chimed in, giving me a look that clearly said to shut up and accept Pepper's offer. "You guys work too hard, and need to relax."

"Agreed," Cap said, giving me a warm smile that had me smiling back. "We'd love to go to California with you, Pepper."

'_Here goes nothing_,' I thought, downing my entire glass of cider in three glugs and wishing it was something stronger.

* * *

Glancing over at Adena, Steve knew that she was nervous about going on a vacation with him. In fact, he had his own doubts about it, but Adena really did deserve to relax and have fun.

'_Well, we have been having fun together, but she needs this_,' Steve thought as he took a drink from his glass, half listening to what the three women were saying.

After being kidnapped _twice_ by Loki, followed by the stress of giving Steve his lessons nearly every day with almost no time to herself, Adena really deserved to drop everything for a while. Maybe a week or two in California would help.

Not that Steve knew much about California, other than the fact that the rich and famous lived there. He knew there were beaches, and had seen a few postcards in his day, but other than that, he was clueless. Hopefully, Pepper could help them with that.

Behind him, the elevator chimed, and in came the rest of the group, with Bruce and Barton still chatting away as Tony walked into the room.

"Greetings, lovely ladies and Captain Rogers!" Tony exclaimed, grinning broadly as Pepper went to greet him with a kiss. "You know, I should be jealous of Rogers getting so much alone time with three attractive women while I talk shop with the guys. But given that he's a Boy Scout, I'll let it go."

Steve rolled his eyes. "Thanks," he sarcastically replied, pulling Adena closer so that Bruce and Tony could take a seat on the couch. Barton slid into a chair on the opposite side of the coffee table and propped his feet up on a convenient footstool.

"Don't mention it," Tony said with a smirk.

Pepper, meanwhile, rolled her eyes before giving him a playful, chastising glare. "Tony, I've invited Steve and Adena to travel to California with us. We all think that Adena needs some quiet time and fun, so I thought she could fly with us on the jet to the West Coast."

Tony's face lit up. "Great! She deserves it. Trust me, you'll get plenty of room to stretch out during the flight. I'll tell you what: you decide which city you want to stay in, and I'll have Jarvis call ahead, so that particular house is all cleaned and stocked up for your stay."

Adena blinked at him. "What do you mean, which city we want to stay in?" she asked. "How many houses could you possibly have in California?"

Tony shrugged. "Not sure," he confessed. "Hold on a sec." Steve and Adena watched as Tony counted off on his fingers. "San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles-"

"Okay, okay," Adena said hurriedly, cutting him off. "I'll take your word for it. San Francisco sounds fine, thanks."

"San Francisco it is," Tony declared. "Jarvis, see to it, will you?"

The computer system beeped a few times. "Yes, sir," Jarvis chimed over the speaker system.

Adena held up her hands. "Wait, wait," she said. "What do you mean, next week? I thought you weren't leaving for _two_ weeks."

"Change of plans," Tony replied in a slightly apologetic tone. "Meeting's been moved up, and I have to be there in person to help soothe the nerves of my board of directors. I've been away too much and too long, and it's time for me to get back and work out a few things."

"I'm sure you can put together a suitcase by then," Pepper assured them while glaring at Tony, who simply gave her a charming smile. "Whatever you forget to bring, you could buy while you're out there. Since you're traveling with us, you won't have to go through security, so you can buy and bring home anything you want."

Steve immediately felt a surge of excitement. Adena could do with a bit of shopping, too, and he would like to see her buy something frivolous, rather than something needed or useful. He liked that she was sensible, but every woman should buy something pretty for herself, once in a while.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Adena perk up a little. "Well, there are a few things I would like to get," she grudgingly admitted. "And shopping in California might be fun."

He had to grin as the others applauded and cheered, while Adena playfully rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on," she laughed, "I'm not _that_ much in need of a vacation!"

"Yes, you are," Steve firmly told her. "No arguments. We're going, and that's that."

This time, he laughed as she stuck her tongue out at him and made a face. "Fine, but we're doing it on a budget. I don't think Director Fury pays us enough for a major vacation, and California can be expensive."

She pointed at Tony as he opened his mouth. "And don't tell me you're picking up the tab," she firmly told him. "You're not only flying us out on your private jet, but you're also providing a place for us to stay for free, and that's enough. We'll cover the rest, thanks."

Smiling, Tony held his hands up in mock surrender. "Okay, if that's how you feel," he said, a little too innocently. "Just don't be surprised if your bill somewhere is suddenly paid for when you aren't looking."

Adena eyed him skeptically. "You wouldn't do that." She didn't sound fully convinced, though.

Casually shrugging, Tony merely smiled while Steve gave him a knowing smirk. Given that he was a genius with technology, Steve had the feeling that Tony would do something when Adena least expected it.

He heard a yawn come from beside him, and knew it was time to head home. Gently setting down his glass, Steve took Adena's as well, and set it aside. "Time to go," he declared, his tone openly declaring that there would be no arguments from anyone.

Adena nodded her agreement, then began her rounds of saying 'goodnight' by pressing kisses to cheeks and offering hugs to everyone, all of whom happily accepted her signs of affection and returned them. It was a sight Steve liked to see, because it showed two of the traits that made him fall for Adena: the warmth and friendliness she held inside her.

On the elevator ride down, Adena told him, "Tomorrow, we need to start packing." She caught his look of surprise and smiled. "Sorry, I forgot you've never really traveled for pleasure. It takes a lot of time to pick out what you'll be taking with you, so you need to start as soon as possible. After that, you should unpack your suitcase, to see if you've packed too much or forgotten something, then repack it. I usually do that a couple times, just to be sure."

By now, Steve was starting to get a bit worried. "Is traveling really that complicated these days?"

Adena gave a small shrug. "It's more complicated because of what you are and aren't allowed to take on the planes. Also, checking baggage costs an arm and a leg, so people tend to just pack one bag and bring a smaller, personal one to bring with them onto the plane. Airport security is a pain to get through, too."

She laughed and took his hand. The minute her fingers entwined with his, Steve felt himself relax a little, just like he always did whenever she held his hand. "Don't worry. Since we'll be traveling on Tony's private jet, we don't have to worry about all of that. All you have to do is make sure to bring stuff that'll be suitable for warm weather, and maybe an umbrella, in case it rains."

That made him feel better, but only a little. As anxiety began to build up inside, Steve willed himself to squish it down. Adena knew what to do, and she wouldn't let their first trip together turn out to be a failure. Even if things took a downward turn, she would do everything to fix it, or exhaust herself while trying.

Later, as he faded to sleep in his bed, the last thought Steve had was that in order to pack a suitcase, he actually had to own one first.

* * *

AN: Next stop will be a vacation with Steve and Adena! Review?


	2. Lifestyles of the Rich

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing related to Marvel, either the comics, movies, TV shows, etc. All of that belongs to the Disney Corporation (though I might try kidnapping Captain America and Hawkeye some day, just for fun).

AN: Here's chapter two. I hope that everyone had a great holiday and that the new year is a great one for you! Enjoy the chapter, and please review! See you all in the New Year!

**Chapter 2: Lifestyles of the Rich:**

Packing for any vacation can be a pain in the neck. Packing for not only yourself, but also for a man inexperienced with the whole thing, tended to be worse.

I, personally, was well-experienced when it came to packing for travel. Ever since I was five -years-old, my parents had flown me out to visit my grandmother for the entire summer -so, naturally, I knew how to pack a suitcase for a long flight, and a long stay.

Cap, however, was a different story. He knew how to pack, but mostly in the way army men did –namely packing food, supplies, clothes, ammunition, weapons, and anything else he might need for a one or three-month stint somewhere, carrying out an assignment.

While that was _almost_ like packing for modern air travel, packing for a vacation in California was a bit beyond him. True, New York had its glamorous people and warm summer days, and there were beaches close by, but Cap had rarely visited those areas in his life. He wasn't ready for the sun, surf, and glamour that awaited us in California.

He also didn't have a travel bag, so that was the first thing we took care of.

* * *

Poor, inexperienced Cap had thought picking luggage was going to be the easy part. Choosing a suitcase is always a hassle, at least in my opinion -it has to fit your needs, and your personality, so finding the right one to go with you everywhere is very important. After all, you're stuck with it until the day it wears out, or is lost, so it's best to pick the best one the first time around.

Cap found out the hard way that choosing luggage is very difficult. He took one look at the immense selection available at the store, and almost seemed ready to give up right then and there. The only reason he perked up was because I took his hand and gave it a squeeze, encouraging him to go do what he had to, and do it right.

It took over an hour to look at everything, and another half hour to pick the top three that interested him. In the end, he chose a tough, sleek, silvery-black bag with four wheels, for easy transport everywhere. It was just the perfect size for carry-on, and he was immensely proud of his choice.

Next came the packing. Gathered in Cap's room, with his suitcase open and ready, I had to remind him that California was different from New York, and that it mostly had a relaxed, fun atmosphere. He needed to be ready for possible road trips, visits to the beach, and dining out at fancy restaurants. There was also a good chance of us going to visit Tony and Pepper, so I wanted him prepared for that. I also told him to pack a bag with stuff to do on the plane, and in case we decided to take a few days on this vacation to do absolutely nothing but relax.

Last but not least, I sent a message to Director Fury, telling him our travel plans, and that if he needed to reach Cap, it could be through me via JT. I immediately got an e-mail from the Director, saying that he approved of the trip. He told us to have fun and relax, though I had the feeling that he'd have agents keeping a careful, but distant, eye on us the whole time.

Then came the day of departure, and as the excitement inside me grew, I began to realize this trip was going to be another lesson in the modern world for poor Cap, whether he wanted it to be or not.

* * *

I'd only been in a private plane once in my life, and that had been when Natasha Romanoff had brought me to New York, on Director Fury's orders. This time, the experience would be very different.

Our drive to the airport was uneventful: we had taken our packed bags down to the waiting car, loaded them into the trunk, promptly got into the car, and headed off. Cap had looked a bit anxious the entire time, but that seemed to fade the closer we got to the airport.

Once we arrived, our driver pulled up to a large private plane with a tall walkway leading to the entry door. Pepper stood there, smiling and waving in welcome as Cap and I got out of the car and helped the driver unload the bags. I kept one carry-on bag with me, loaded with the laptop, my tablet, and a few books I'd been meaning to read but hadn't gotten the chance to yet. Cap's personal bag was a mystery to me, as I didn't know the contents, but I knew it had to be full of stuff to keep him busy on the flight.

"I'll take these to the handlers," the driver said as he wheeled the large bags to the belly of the plane.

Left alone with Cap, I felt his hand slip into mine. Glancing over at him, I had to smile a little. "It'll be fine," I assured him. "Don't worry."

He looked down at me and gave an awkward smile. "I'm not worried, exactly," he replied, though I could tell it was half a lie.

Laughing, I led him up the stairs. When we reached the top, Pepper greeted me with a hug and a grin. "I'm glad you're coming," she said, leading us inside. "It gets kind of boring when it's just me and Tony on a long flight. We're so used to each other's company that sometimes it's easy to ignore one another and focus on something else, like work that we need to get through before we arrive at where we're going."

"Well, I hope we won't bore you," Cap joked as we stepped into the main cabin and took a look around.

Unlike the plane used by SHIELD, Tony's aircraft had, of all things, a bar at the far left corner, complete with bolted down barstools with brown leather backs. Bottles of every kind of liquor lined up in secure clear plastic cases, crowded tightly together so that they didn't slide around during the flight.

In the middle of the far wall was a huge plasma television, and next to it an almost invisible door in the mahogany wood paneling, which likely led to the cockpit. To my right, and across from the bar, were several comfy-looking leather chairs and a long leather couch (all with safety belts, of course) spread out in front of it, for easy TV viewing. A glass coffee table sat at just the right distance from the couch and chairs for people to prop their feet up on, and scattered across the surface of it were numerous drink coasters. A rack of TV trays hug on the wall nearby, so that meals could be served.

To my immediate right was a table that jutted out from the wall, crafted of mahogany and just large enough for two or three people to sit around and eat at. Matching chairs stood on each side of the table, and a drink tray sat in the center, with three crystal glasses and a decanter of brown liquor standing in it.

A desk stood to my left, with a screen that could be pulled from a section of the wall for some semblance of privacy. A large, comfortable leather chair behind it seemed to beg for someone to sit in it and get their work done.

"Wow; swanky," I stated, smiling as a female flight attendant asked us to take a seat.

I took a chair facing the television, and Cap sat to my immediate right, his chair close enough for him to reach over and take my hand, if he wanted to (and I know he did). I quickly showed him how to buckle the safety belt, did my own, and looked over at Pepper, who had taken a seat on the couch.

"Where's Tony?" I asked, looking around while Cap and I set our carry-on bags near our feet.

She shrugged. "I think he's in the bedroom," she said, nodding towards the back of the plane.

That's when I noticed that the cabin we were in looked _way_ smaller than the plane did from the outside. "There's a bedroom?" I asked, amazed. "What else is there?"

Pepper held up a hand and began counting off. "A master bedroom complete with its own bathroom and shower; a kitchen down below for the chef; and two bathrooms: one for travelers and one for the crew."

I shook my head. The rich seriously knew how to live!

As I sank into the comfort of my chair, Cap reached out and took my hand. "Ready for an adventure?" I asked.

He smirked and gave my hand a squeeze. "Of course. Are you?"

We both grinned broadly as the plane taxied down the runway and became airborne.

* * *

Once we were at cruising altitude, I did what I always did when I fly: whip out my music player. Of course, I completely forgot that I was on a private plane and could watch television if I wanted –I was so used to traveling commercial, it was sort of an automatic action.

On the other hand, I kind of wanted to use my MP3, because instead of having an ordinary player, I had JT. I hadn't known until yesterday that JT was able to hold my call numbers, my music, and my digital movies, just like any expensive smartphone on the market could. For that, I blame Tony, who had neglected to tell me those features when he'd given me JT in the first place.

It also made me wonder what else JT could do, though I had the feeling that Tony wouldn't tell me.

As expected, the flight attendant came out to take orders of what we wanted to drink, and gave me a printed list that had every kind of soda, wine, and champagne that I could imagine on it. Not only that, but since it was getting close to noon, she asked what we would care to have for lunch. The question was completely unexpected –it had been ages since I'd eaten a meal on a plane, and it took a minute to remember whose plane I was on.

Smiling up at the attendant, I asked what my options were. She told me that the chef had many ingredients onboard, and could make me almost anything I wanted, no problem. I must have looked really surprised, because she went and retrieved two menus for me and Cap to look at.

At first glance, I saw that the menu was printed on Stark Industries stationary, so it must have been a list of Tony's favorite foods to order while traveling. A lot of the items were high-quality, expensive stuff, and looked like they belonged in a restaurant. On the menu I found things like sushi and sashimi of the highest grade; prosciutto and salami from Italy; crepes with fresh fruit or savory fillings; and Japanese beef steaks that would cost the average person half of their monthly paycheck to purchase.

"Feel free to get anything you want," Pepper told us. "And you can watch whatever you want on the TV, or browse the Internet with the Wi-Fi."

I ended up ordering an appetizer of French onion soup, followed by a vast selection of sushi. Since Cap still wasn't fond of it, sushi was a rare treat for me, and I fully intended to take advantage of my current situation!

When my food arrived, I was almost dazzled by the rainbow array of items that was spread across the plate. Carefully using the chopsticks provided, I popped a roll into my mouth and felt my taste buds sing. It seriously tasted like heaven -the rice was warm and fresh, not dried out or undercooked, and the fish tasted like it had been caught just this morning.

Cap, meanwhile, had a large steak with roasted fingerling potatoes; very simple and uncomplicated. The steak, though, was the best that could be found, and Cap commented that it tasted better than anything we bought at the supermarket. I then had to explain the different grades of beef, and how the typical person could almost never get the best beef on the market, because that was reserved for rich people and restaurants.

"If you want, I'll ask Tony to ship you two some prime steak cuts from his private storage," Pepper offered. "It won't be too much trouble, and I think you'll enjoy it."

Before I could protest, Cap graciously accepted the offer. "It'd be nice to have some top-of-the-line beef, once in a while," he said, giving me a significant look. "Besides, we both love good beef."

I rolled my eyes, but didn't argue. And from the way he was eating his meal, I could tell he was happy I'd accepted Pepper's offer.

When our empty plates had been cleared away, Cap turned on the television and let me give him a pop quiz on the people, shows, and events that flashed across the screen whenever he changed the channels. He got a quarter of them right, but that's because most of what was on were reality shows with "stars" that weren't worth remembering. I gave him a passing grade and praised his efforts before changing the TV to a history channel.

For a while, things were quiet. Pepper ate a light meal, did some paperwork, and plugged herself into a laptop at the desk in the corner. Cap watched some more television, then handed me the remote so that he could dive into a book he'd brought.

As for me, I propped my feet up on the coffee table and watched television just for the sake of watching it, instead of using it as a tool for teaching. It was another rare treat for me, and I was happy to relax into my chair and watch a few things on the two hundred-odd cable channels.

Just as I was beginning to wonder if Tony was even onboard the aircraft (or if he'd taken his Iron Man suit to California instead of flying on the plane), the man himself decided to make an appearance. Somehow, I wasn't really surprised at the scruffy, rumpled look he sported when he did show up.

"Sorry," he apologized, looking a bit drowsy and grungy in his tattered jeans and faded AC/DC t-shirt. "Had a late-night conference with Asia. They wouldn't let me off the video feed until I'd done a few celebratory shots with them."

"What were you celebrating?" I couldn't help asking as he flopped down on the couch.

He shrugged and stretched a bit. "I just made a huge business deal with a few countries over there. They wanted to toast to our future success, so I could I say 'no?'"

"Very easily," Pepper called out from her desk, causing Cap and me to laugh.

Tony gave another shrug and a small smile. "So, how was your lunch?" he asked, glancing at his watch. "I'm guessing you had lunch?"

"We did," I confirmed with a grin. "And I must say your chef deserves a raise, after the sushi platter I just had."

Just then, the flight attendant arrived with a tray of mimosas, the champagne still sending bubbles over the rims of the glasses as we each took one.

"Now _that's_ service," I joked, sipping my drink while Cap examined the contents of his. Leaning towards him, I whispered, "It's just champagne and orange juice, Cap. I know alcohol is wasted on you, but please try it; you might like it."

Meanwhile, Tony took a glass and downed it while another flight attendant came out with a plate of fruit, cheese, small toasted bread slices lightly dusted with garlic powder, and an assortment of sliced meats. A third attendant carried small bread plates and silverware wrapped in clean white napkins, which she set on the coffee table beside the platter before disappearing with the second attendant. The first remained behind to refill Tony's glass before heading off with the others.

"Pepper, why don't you come join us?" I called to her. "I want to talk travel with you two."

She gave a smile and went to take a seat on the couch with Tony, who put his arm around her while the other handed her a drink. "Okay, let's talk travel. What do you and Steve plan to do while in San Francisco?"

Cap immediately looked interested as I mentioned the piers and Fisherman's Wharf, as well as Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. I also suggested the zoo and aquarium, as well as a ride on the infamous trolley system, which I knew from past experience could be a thrill.

"That sounds more educational and boring than fun," Tony commented, earning him a slap on the shoulder from Pepper and a glare from Cap. "Come on; you're going to California! Do what everybody else does: go to the beach, tan, and catch some waves! Or go shopping in L.A., then head towards Hollywood and see the sights."

He looked over at Cap. "Live it up a little, will you, Rogers? Learning's great, but all kids get a break from school, once in a while."

I immediately felt bad. Was Tony right? Maybe I was still in "teacher mode," and needed to let up a bit. Cap did deserve to have a good time, and to get a break from all of the learning I'd been giving him, so maybe I should take a page from Tony's book and let us both relax for a week or so. Besides, it might be fun to walk through Hollywood and see the glitz and glamour that everybody talks about.

'_And I could use a tan_,' I admitted. '_A visit to the beach sounds great, too_.'

Cap, meanwhile, looked angry about my travel itinerary being shot down. "I'll go wherever Adena wants to visit," he said, reaching for my hand. "I have faith in her choices."

It was so sweet of him to say that, I had to reach out and pull him in for a kiss. "Thanks, Cap," I whispered, smiling at him.

He returned my smile with an affectionate one of his own, but before he could say anything, Tony cleared his throat. "So, since you're with us now, why don't you come with us to Malibu when we land? LA is only an hour away, so you can stay with us." He grinned. "Even if I'm too busy to play, my driver can take you anywhere you want, or you can borrow a car and drive."

It was tempting, and I had to admit, it would be nice to have Pepper close by. Even if it didn't work out, at least we had a backup plan of traveling to San Francisco.

Looking over at Cap, I saw him give a small, agreeing nod. "Okay, we're in," I said.

With a very pleased look on his face, Tony lifted his glass. "Cheers, then!" he said before taking a drink.

The rest of us did the same, with conversation turning towards ideas of what Cap and I might end up doing in the Sunshine State.

* * *

AN: A little boring, I know, but stuff will pick up soon, I promise. Review?


	3. California

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing related to Marvel, either the comics, movies, TV shows, etc. All of that belongs to the Disney Corporation (though I might try kidnapping Captain America and Hawkeye some day, just for fun).

AN: Okay, so I don't know if people have private beaches in California (I've heard 'yes' and 'no'), so for the sake of the story, we'll pretend that they do. Besides, who wouldn't want to have Captain America to themselves on a private beach? Have fun reading, and please review! Thanks!

**Chapter 3: California:**

If there was one thing Steve did not appreciate, it was having Adena's choices questioned by anyone –he did _not_ like seeing a look of doubt and guilt flash across her face.

Call him overprotective, but if it had been anyone but Tony who put that look there, he'd have punched them for making her feel bad. When Adena had started looking doubtful about her plans, Steve did what any good man would have done: he'd said straight out that he trusted her decisions, and earned a bright smile from her in return. He liked making her smile like that, and would do anything to keep her from being sad or upset.

Sipping the cocktail in his hand, Steve listened quietly to Adena and Pepper discuss what sort of activities he and Adena would do while in California.

In his day, most men would have been upset at having a woman plan out their entire vacation, but Steve had absolute faith in Adena –she clearly knew quite a bit about California, and he knew she'd do everything possible to make things fun for the both of them. He also knew that she fully intended to keep up with his education about the modern world, but he didn't mind –he loved learning, he loved spending time with Adena, and he loved learning things _from_ Adena. In that, he counted himself very lucky.

"And then there's the beach," Pepper was saying, jarring Steve from his thoughts. "The beaches are gorgeous, and I know a few places where there won't be many people or crowds. Maybe the two of you can take up a few surf lessons, or go diving in the waves."

Surfing? Steve had seen postcards of people surfing, and it looked fun, but he wasn't sure he wanted to try it –at least, not yet. Swimming definitely, but surfing could wait a little while.

"Well, Cap and I will figure something out," Adena sighed, looking at JT in her palm. "For now, though, I think I'll take a little nap. For some reason, whenever I'm on a long ride in a train, plane, or car, I get the urge to nap."

Steve turned and gave Tony a pointed look. "I'm sure there's a place for you to lie down for a while," he said, raising an eyebrow.

Tony quickly got the hint and stood up. "You can crash here on the couch," he offered, helping Pepper to her feet to make room. "I've got stuff to do through Jarvis, and I need to talk to Pepper about a few things, in private." He paused. "If you want, I might be able to give JT a bit of a software upgrade. There might be a few things in Jarvis that I can program into JT."

Steve watched in amusement as Adena regretfully handed over JT. "Don't break him," she warned Tony as she went to stretch out on the couch. "You'll be in big trouble if you do."

Everyone laughed as Tony led Pepper to the rear of the plane, leaving Steve alone with Adena, a situation he was very happy with.

"So, what do you plan to do while I nap?" Adena gently teased him.

Steve pretended to think about it. "I thought I'd stare at the wall for a while, then twiddle my thumbs for an hour," he replied, all seriousness.

She stared at him for a minute, then rolled her eyes. "Very funny, Cap. But seriously, you can use the laptop I packed, or the tablet, if you want. Or if you brought something to read, you can do that, too."

He reached for his bag and produced a large sketch book and a small assortment of drawing pencils. It had been a long time since he'd sketched anything –in fact; he hadn't had time to, since Adena had come into his life.

When she saw what he was holding, her eyes went wide. "You draw?" she asked, surprised. "When were you going to tell me this?"

"Actually, I was a comic book artist and illustrator," he corrected her. "That was a long time ago, before I became Captain America." He grinned. "Besides, I haven't had time to draw anything since you became my teacher and made things so interesting and complicated."

He could only laugh as Adena playfully stuck her tongue out at him. "Well, you will now! If I'd known you were an artist, I'd have let you have some time to yourself so that you could draw. I'll start that as soon as we get to California, and from now on, you'll have time to draw. Okay?"

Steve felt a small pang as a hurt look flashed across her face. "I didn't tell you because I didn't really miss it very much," he said, moving over to the couch so that he could hold her hand in his. "I was good at it, and there was a need for comic book artists, so I applied for the job and got it. Before that, I was just drawing in the corners of papers or whatever was handy."

He squeezed her hand. "You've kept me very busy, but also very happy. I wouldn't trade the time I've spent with you for anything; not even to make up for the hours I could have spent drawing."

Steve was relieved to watch the hurt in her face melt away. A smile replaced it, and a gentle squeeze of her hand on his reassured him that Adena believed him. "Thanks, Cap. I just hate thinking that I was keeping you away from something you really cared about. It wouldn't be right."

Looking into her eyes, he said, "I've got something I care about. And I wouldn't give it up for anything in the world."

For a moment, the room was silent, and Steve wondered if maybe he'd gone a little too far. He had been dating Adena for such a short time, and the thought of scaring her off by saying or doing something stupid was a true nightmare of his. He'd faced Nazis and Red Skull, but the thought of losing her because of a poorly delivered sentence was enough to knot his stomach and send fear shivering down his spine.

Then she pressed her lips against his, a soft affectionate kiss that declared loud and clear that he'd said just the right thing.

* * *

After reluctantly allowing Cap to go back to his seat, I stretched out lazily on the couch and watched him begin to sketch. He usually got a little frown on his face as he worked, which I found utterly adorable, but today, the frown seemed a bit different. The concentration on his face was slightly more intense, and as I watched him work, I saw the frown deepen just the tiniest bit.

And yet, as he continued to draw, there seemed to be a light growing in those blue eyes of his. I could tell that he had missed drawing, even if he hadn't realized it. He might brush it off and say that he was happy with the way things had turned out for him, but it was something he liked doing, and I fully intended to let him continue doing it, no matter how busy we got.

But as fascinating as it was to watch him, I felt my eyelids grow heavy, and in less than a minute, I was out like a light. The next thing I knew, a hand was gently shaking me awake. I opened my eyes and smiled as Cap gazed down affectionately at me.

"Are you hungry?" he quietly asked. "They're setting up a light dinner for us."

My stomach growled, telling me that food sounded pretty good right about now. "Dinner sounds great," I declared, stretching a bit before getting up.

The small dining table in the corner had been set with two places, the drink tray in the center removed to make room for whatever dishes would be served. Looking at the set up, I had to smile. Dinner for two, hmm?

And it was a great dinner. There was another Japanese meal for me, this one consisting of noodle soup, a few light sushi selections, and tempura. Cap had the same, minus the sushi, and to my amazement, he rather liked it. He even managed to eat with chopsticks, with no mishaps.

"You see?" I teased him. "Practice makes perfect."

He smiled. "Not quite, but close enough. At least I didn't put my eye out with them."

We both laughed, but immediately stopped when the flight attendant brought out a chocolate lava cake for us to share. The cake was yet another dessert Cap hadn't tried before, and as I expected, he loved it. Between the two of us, it was gone in minutes.

After we were finished, we headed to the couch and stretched out, my head on his shoulder while he took up the TV remote and began surfing around for something to watch. Of course, he stopped on the history channel, which was his favorite, and the two of us watched a documentary until the pilot announced that we were approaching our destination, and that we all needed to buckle in.

* * *

Steve didn't know what to expect when it came to the West Coast, but Adena seemed to –she looked perfectly at ease with the palm trees, warm weather, and how different the place was from New York.

The descent to the airport went smoothly, and after he had helped Adena down the steps from the door to the pavement, Steve saw an immense limo waiting. He and Adena stood there, staring, until a hand on his shoulder caused him to turn and look at Tony Stark's smirking face.

"Where have you been all day?" Adena asked, giving him a playful glare. "And don't tell me it was work, because we all know how much of a lazy slacker you can be."

Tony simply winked at her and turned to help Pepper Potts down the last steps to the ground. "Pepper and I had certain matters to discuss; you know, business stuff," he said with a shrug as he handed JT back to her. "And you're welcome."

Adena and Pepper exchanged a look that amused Tony, but puzzled Steve. "Right," Adena replied with a grin. "Business."

Pepper laughed and began pushing Adena towards the car. "Okay, enough of that," she hurriedly said. "We've got a lot to do, and not a lot of time to do it."

Before Steve knew it, he was in the car, seated beside Adena and watching the scenery go by. By now, it was late, and it was dark, but the drive was still spectacular.

Steve had seen the ocean from piers in New York, and from the occasional coastal town or village in Europe. In all those places, he had seen the moon on the water and thought it beautiful, but California was different somehow – New York was always bustling with people, traffic, and shouting, very much earning the title of The City That Never Sleeps. But in California, there was a carefree air, and a buzz that told of fun, sunshine, excitement, and a touch of ease.

Looking at the water, he wondered if he was seeing things. "What are they doing?" he asked, pointing at a group of people that appeared to be standing _on_ the water, not _in_ it.

Adena peeked over his shoulder. "Oh, they're stand-up paddleboarding. You stand on a waxed board, and you get around by using the paddles in your hand. I've seen people do it in Hawaii."

By now, the people were out of sight, and all he could see now was open ocean. "But what's it for?" he asked, feeling both puzzled and curious about the whole thing.

She shrugged. "It's fun, I guess. I've never tried it, but people do it for fun, for exercise, and for the experience. You can also paddle out a bit and look at the sea life passing by under you."

"Just be careful of sharks," Tony warned, though there was a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

Adena threw him a glare as Steve tried to figure out if Tony was joking or not. "You do have to be careful of sharks, but for the most part, they don't attack people. Besides, they only attack if they smell blood in the water, or if they think you look like a seal."

She gave Steve a look that was all seriousness. "Just keep close to shore, don't go swimming in the sea if you've got bleeding wounds, be aware of your surroundings, and try not to look like an injured seal."

That seemed to make sense, though how people managed to look like seals while out in the water was something Steve couldn't understand. Adena must have sensed this (it was a gift of hers), because she put her hand on his and promised to explain it later. He knew she would, and do a good job, so Steve decided to relax and just watch the scenery go by until they reached a tall iron gate.

"Home sweet home," Tony said with a grin. "Welcome to my humble abode."

* * *

The driveway was a long one, but still shorter than I thought it would be. We reached the house sooner than I expected, and once the driver opened the door, Cap reached in to help me out so that I could get a good look at the place.

I couldn't help it; I stood and stared as Pepper and Tony came to stand behind him. "Wow," I breathed, looking at the huge mansion.

It was so surreal, standing in front of a billionaire's mansion. I never in a million years imagined that I'd be in this position: becoming friends with Tony Stark; hanging out with him at his apartment; flying in his private plane; and now, I'd be staying in his house (or houses, depending on how many different cities Cap and I visited).

Still gaping, I was led inside by my host and hostess, my eyes taking in the stylish interior and the stairways that went up or down to other levels. It was classy, modern, and very clearly screamed of money. Pepper tried to assure me that it was smaller than I thought, but I didn't believe her.

As I followed her upstairs to the guest rooms, I took note of the rooms that Pepper pointed out: library; the living room; the stairs that led all the way down to Tony's tech lab, where he worked on his suits, but which was sealed from unauthorized access by a code that a select few had. Sadly, I wasn't one of those few, but that was fine with me, since I'd already seen the suit up close and personal on several occasions.

At the top of the mansion were Tony's suite of rooms, but a level below were the guest rooms. Each guest room had a fantastic view of the ocean, a sight I immediately fell in love with when Pepper (after leaving Cap in his room) showed me where I'd be sleeping.

"Sadly, there's no private beach, but that's because Tony doesn't want paparazzi washing up on the sand, ready to take pictures of him, or sneaking up to the house," Pepper explained. "However, there's a stretch of privately owned beach about twenty minutes away, where you can take Steve tomorrow. It belongs to a friend of Tony's, so I'll call their security team and let them know you'll be coming. Take some ID, though, so that they can verify who you are."

"Wow; all this exclusivity is going to go to my head pretty soon," I said, only half joking. "But I'll keep that in mind for tomorrow. It'll be good for Cap to get some sunshine, and I'd love to stick my feet into some warm sand and surf."

"Well, you make sure to get plenty of that," she ordered in a mock-doctor voice. "While Tony and I are out on business, you're free to take one of the cars around to wherever you want to go. Since our driver will be with us, you'll have to find your own way around, but there's GPS in all the cars, so you should be fine."

A footstep sounded in the door. "Nice room," Cap commented as he stepped inside. "I heard what you said about the car. Are you sure Tony wants to loan us one?"

"Questioning my generosity, Rogers?" Tony asked, coming up behind him and startling me. "Seriously, if you need a car, just take one. If it makes you feel better, I'll let you pick it out." He paused. "Just be sure you don't scratch it, okay?"

Laughing, I hurriedly pushed both men out of my room. "Okay, enough," I told them. "I just want to clean up and get some sleep. You two go bicker elsewhere so I can do that, and I'll see you in the morning."

Pepper, poor thing, shook her head and sighed as she led a loudly protesting Tony upstairs. I was immensely grateful for that, and almost immediately noticed that, as soon as the door was closed, I couldn't hear a thing from the top floor. Thank goodness for soundproofing in buildings!

Before Cap left for his own room, though, he put one arm around my waist and pulled me close for a sound good-night kiss. "'Night, Cap," I whispered when we finally parted.

He kissed me again. "Good night, Adena," he whispered back before disappearing down the hall.

Needless to say, I went to bed very happy that night.

* * *

AN: Review?


	4. Beach Bound

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing related to Marvel, either the comics, movies, TV shows, etc. All of that belongs to the Disney Corporation (though I might try kidnapping Captain America and Hawkeye some day, just for fun).

AN: This has to be one of my favorite chapters, because it involves Steve Rogers and a day at the beach. Happy reading, and please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 4: Beach Bound:**

In spite of the wonderful way I went to bed, my dreams were soon invaded by dark feelings and vague nightmares.

That in itself was very odd, because I typically don't have nightmares. Bad dreams, sure; those I get sometimes, but nightmares were not something that happened often, not even after I'd been kidnapped by Loki. Tonight, however, seemed to be an exception.

As with most dreams, I didn't remember the details of it, only that there was a terrible, nagging feeling that something bad was going to happen during this vacation. It scared me enough to startle me awake, leaving me tossing and turning in bed until, exhausted, I fell back asleep. This happened several times, but when the sun began to come up, I was able to fall back asleep and stay that way without dreaming once.

Needless to say, I slept late, and didn't even wake up when Pepper knocked on the door to invite me to breakfast. I know this because when I did come down a little after noon, Jarvis told me.

"Good afternoon, Miss," the computer greeted me. "Miss Potts sends her apologies at not being able to see you today. She did attempt to wake you for breakfast, but you did not respond, so she let you rest."

Well, it was nice of her to let me sleep in, but where was everyone?

"Mr. Stark and Miss Potts have left for the office," Jarvis informed me before I could ask. "They will not be back until later this evening. Captain Rogers is in his room, tidying up after his morning swim."

Aw, man, why did I have to sleep through the good part? I had seen Cap shirtless only once or twice, and then that was only by accident –it'd be nice to see him that way again, especially after he'd just gotten out of the pool.

My brief daydream stopped when my stomach began telling me to feed it. "Um, Jarvis?" I asked, "Is there anything I can get to eat?"

* * *

After helping myself to the contents of the fridge, I made a sandwich and whipped up a small pot of soup from some of the condensed stuff in the cupboards.

I was just finishing up when Cap stepped into the room, a relieved look washing over his face. "There you are," he said, taking a seat beside me. "I was worried when you didn't come down for breakfast."

Swallowing down my last bite of sandwich, I tried to not stare at him. He looked very nice in a short-sleeved polo shirt and khakis. I somehow managed to give him a smile and speak without drooling at the sight of his muscled arms straining against the sleeves. "I'm fine," I assured him. "Just a rough night of sleeping, probably from the time zone difference. How about you?"

He still looked worried, but calmly said, "I slept fine. It's a little weird, being in another strange place, though." The worry turned into a small smile. "But as long as you're with me, I'll be alright."

Part of me instantly went mushy when he said that. "Aw, you're sweet," I said, reaching out to affectionately squeeze his hand. "If you're not careful, you'll turn into a sweet-talker, like Tony."

"Not funny," he said, glaring at me while I chuckled and went to toss my dirty dishes into the dishwasher.

"So, what would you like to do today?" I asked, wiping my hands on a towel. "Did you still want to visit the beach? It seems a good day for it."

"Only if you want to go," Cap insisted. "If you didn't sleep well, we could stay here today."

"Actually, the beach sounds fantastic. And I'd love to see how warm the water is," I said. "I'll make some sandwiches and pack a picnic while you get ready."

Of course, gentleman that he was, Cap wasn't about to let me do all the work. Rather than go upstairs to change, he helped me put together a nice picnic basket, and even managed to find a canvas beach bag, a basket, some towels, and a bottle of sunscreen for us.

"So, Jarvis, which car are we allowed to take?" I asked the computer while I changed into a bathing suit and packed a bag with a book or two. "Preferably an automatic, with GPS." Of course, with JT, I wouldn't need a GPS, but it was better to have it on hand, in case.

A few beeps sounded, quickly followed by Jarvis's reply. "When you are ready, you and Captain Rogers may proceed to the garage, where the appropriate vehicle will be waiting."

Grabbing my own bag, I went down to the living room, where Cap was waiting for me, clad in dark blue swim trunks, white T-shirt, and flip-flops (though I had no idea where he'd gotten those). The large canvas beach bag, along with the picnic basket, sat at his feet, making him look like a beach catalogue scene come to life. Seriously, if he wanted to quit being a soldier, he should consider a career in modeling.

'_Then again, he's so humble and shy, he probably doesn't know how good-looking he is_,' I thought, my heart growing warm at how down-to-earth he was.

"Come on; let's go see what Jarvis has chosen for our transportation," I said, taking his hand and leading the way while listening to Jarvis's directions to the garage.

* * *

Being a billionaire with a fondness for cars, Tony naturally had a large selection of expensive and not very practical vehicles. Oh, they were great cars, and if I could drive a stick, I'd have gladly jumped into one and floored it out of there! Sadly, I couldn't -which is lucky, because having all of those at my disposal was more than a little tempting.

Luckily, there were one or two automatics, but they also happened to be expensive and sporty. I was afraid to touch them, much less get inside, but if that was all that was available, I'd have to get over it.

As we approached the one of the cars that was lit from a bright overhead light, Cap gave me a tap on the shoulder. "Uh, Adena?" he said nervously. "I don't know how to drive today's cars."

Crap, that's right –the last time he'd driven a car was when the average vehicles were big, clunky, and extreme gas-guzzlers. I sighed. "Okay, I'll drive. Let's toss the stuff in the trunk."

Once we'd done that and were seated inside, I realized I didn't have the keys. Wow, wasn't I the bright one today? "Jarvis?" I called out. "Where are the keys?"

The light illuminating us from above honed itself to beam down directly on the glove box. Bingo!

Minutes later, we were heading down the freeway, towards our destination.

* * *

The drive was breathtaking –at least, the stuff I could see while driving was breathtaking. Cap seemed to enjoy the views of the ocean on our right, and I could hardly blame him for being so taken with the view.

Like Pepper said, the beach was twenty minutes away, and with the GPS and JT giving me directions, we reached it in good time. After parking at a tiny parking lot off the road, we approached a large fence with a sign in front of it, declaring the beach below to be private property, and a keypad on the side, clearly meant for coded entry. Below it were several flights of stone steps, leading down to the beach below. The nearest mansion, however, was at least half a mile away, a large white structure up a hilltop that had its own steps leading down to the beach.

"So how do we get down there?" I wondered as we retrieved our stuff from the trunk. "And is the car going to be okay here? I don't want Tony's car to get towed."

JT beeped in my hand. "The beach's owner has been informed of your wish to use the beach," he explained. "A description of the vehicle, as well as its license plates, have been sent to not only the property's owner, but also the local law enforcement, so that it will not be towed. The gate will open once you've entered the code I have on file."

I checked my little computer and entered the numbers JT brought up. Sure enough, the gate opened, and we were allowed down the steps. Luckily, it wasn't _too_ far down, but certainly far enough for a good workout when heading back up!

As expected, the beach was totally empty, so Cap and I spread out a couple towels and began getting ready. As I removed the wrap-around dress I'd put on, Cap began taking off his white T-shirt.

I couldn't help it: I had to stare. He's got just the right amount of muscle everywhere, and a six-pack that is hard to ignore. Unlike professional body builders, there's nothing grotesque about his physical attributes, and my brain instantly began playing with ideas of what he'd look like when he was tanned and dripping water from a swim in the ocean –especially when he was wearing those blue swim trunks.

"Adena?" a voice said as a hand waved in front of my eyes, snapping me back to reality. "Are you alright?"

I blinked, my cheeks flushing in embarrassment at being caught staring. "Sorry," I muttered, looking down to finish unwrapping my beach dress. When I finished, I looked back up and saw Cap gazing at me. "What is it?" I asked, wondering why he was looking at me like that. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. It's just that I…like your bathing suit."

As much as I wanted to take that as a compliment, I think he was just being nice about it, since my choice of swimwear wasn't that great. It was actually something I'd ordered online and had shipped overnight to the apartment. Fortunately, it had arrived while Cap was in his room, showering, so he hadn't heard it arrive, and I hadn't been forced to show it to him.

The ensemble was pretty basic: the top half was in a tank top style, made of a black-and-red leopard print material, and the bottom was a black swim skirt that ended mid-thigh. It was very conservative and old-fashioned, very much like what they'd worn during Cap's era. Even though I was in decent shape, I didn't have the ideal beach body, so there was nothing that I wanted to show anyone, least of all him.

But rather than let awkwardness squirm its way into the situation, I pasted on a smile of gratitude. "Thanks. It's not that great of one, but since it's the only one I've got, it'll do. I'll probably buy another one when we're in the city, something more colorful."

"But it _does_ look nice!" he insisted, the tone of his voice startling me somewhat. Looking at him, I knew he was being honest –he had the kind of face that would clearly tell me when he was lying.

My heart melted, and I immediately leaned over to press a kiss to his lips. "You're so sweet," I muttered before giving him another kiss.

Rather than let me pull away, Cap wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me against him, deepening the kiss. We stood that way for a while, the warmth of the California sun sinking into our skin as we held each other and kissed on the pristine sandy beach.

Sadly, it didn't last long, because the warm sun soon had me realizing that sunscreen was necessary for my fair skin. I reluctantly pulled back and went to retrieve the sunscreen bottle, holding it up to him. "I'll do your back if you do mine first."

* * *

Steve really didn't understand why Adena was uncomfortable with the topic of her swimming outfit –she really did look attractive in it, and he very much liked the way it fit her body. The colors were perfect for her, the red and black rather alluring as they caught the sun, attracting his eye.

'_I can't believe I have such a beautiful woman as my girl_.'

He couldn't help but smile at the thought as he took the bottle from her hands. As she turned around and held her hair up, Steve swallowed hard and tried to stay calm. He was sure that putting lotion on a woman was no issue today, but he wasn't sure about doing it with Adena. It seemed rather intimate, and that made him a bit nervous.

"It's okay, Cap," she assured him, speaking over her shoulder. "Just rub the lotion on my shoulders or back. It's perfectly normal to do these days, and I promise I won't get upset with you for doing it."

Swallowing hard, Steve began to gently rub the lotion onto her exposed skin. She was warm from the sun, and he had to try _very_ hard not to notice how soft she felt. Funny how he could keep a steady hand on a weapon in battle, but now he couldn't seem to keep his hand from shaking nervously.

"Cap, are you okay?" Adena quietly asked, not turning around.

"Fine!" he quickly replied. "Just hold still."

It took longer than he expected, but Steve somehow managed to get the lotion spread where it was needed, without it getting too thick. With a sense of mixed relief and reluctance, he handed the bottle over to Adena. "There, all finished."

"Good," she sighed. "Now, it's your turn."

He swallowed. "What?"

Her amused eyes met his slightly panicked ones. "It's your turn," she cheerfully told him. "I don't know if that serum will keep you from getting sunburned or not, but I'm not taking a chance. So turn around and let me get to work."

A refusal was on the tip of his tongue, but when he saw the stubborn look on her face, he knew not to argue with her –he'd lose, especially if she thought this was for his own good health. Sighing, Steve turned around, giving her access to his back.

It was an odd sensation, having a woman spread lotion on him. He had never been on vacation to a sunny, warm beach before –his parents had been poor working folks and a trip to California was something they could never have hoped to afford. When first his father, and then his mother died, Steve had been too busy working and making a living for himself to think about vacations. Then came the war, and after that…

Closing his eyes, Steve let himself relax, just a little. It was actually kind of nice, having Adena's gentle fingers rub across his back. She seemed to be taking special care with the lotion, and Steve couldn't help but feel a bit guilty at having taken considerably less care when helping her with hers.

"Do you want me to do your shoulders?" she softly asked. "I've got a bit leftover in my hand."

Without opening his eyes, Steve nodded, then sighed as both her hands ran over his shoulders. When the pressure of her hands increased, he was startled, but then the pressure began to release the tension lingering there, which he didn't know he had.

"How's that?" Adena asked, drawing his attention a little. "I didn't know if you'd ever had a massage before, but I thought you could use a small one."

The pressure on his shoulder muscles increased, and Steve could feel them relaxing under her touch. She was right about massage –he'd never had one, though he'd heard about it when he was younger. It hadn't been much practiced during his era because of the medical advances being made, but he'd seen signs and ads for it, both back then and today.

"It seems popular these days," he managed to say through his blissful daze. "I can see why."

She laughed. "Well, it's a very good way to release tension, relax muscles, and soothe aches and pains. I had back and neck issues at my old job, but a good massage therapist took care of that really quick." She paused. "And, of course, it feels really nice."

It did, and Steve resolved to learn massage so that he could return the favor. That was when Adena's words really hit him. "You have neck and back issues?" he asked, pulled back to reality, though not entirely. Had she been in pain at all when she'd been living with him? If so, how could he have not noticed it?

"No, not anymore," she reassured him. "I used to sit at a desk all day, at a computer, and it kind of takes its toll. I'm fine now, since I'm always up-and-about with you."

That was a relief. Steve hated to think that she'd been in pain and he hadn't known about it. "If you have that kind of trouble again, you'll tell me, right?"

"Of course," Adena promised in a slightly teasing tone. "I doubt I'd be able to hide whatever pain or irritation I'd be feeling anyway."

She halted in her efforts on his shoulders. "Okay, enough. Why don't you finish putting lotion on you, then go head off for a swim while I catch some rays? I want to get a small tan while I'm here."

"Alright; I won't be long," he said, quickly slathering on some lotion before heading for the water. He made sure to smile at her before diving down under a wave.

* * *

Wow, was I a lucky girl or what? Seriously, just looking at Cap shirtless, diving into the water, I felt like I was the luckiest girl in the world. And not only did he look good half-naked, but his skin was incredibly soft -and with the lotion on, he shone just a little. It was like looking at a blonde-haired, blue-eyed god of water, and the mere thought that I was actually dating him was almost dizzying.

Sighing, I rubbed lotion onto the rest of me, then fell back onto the towel and turned onto my stomach, reaching for the bag I'd brought. Pulling out one of the books, I flipped it open and began to read, trying to not think about the man currently diving through the ocean like a professional swimmer (or real-life merman).

I'd just turned to the marked page in my book when I felt eyes staring at me. Turning, I saw that Cap was still swimming, and not even glancing my way. My gaze quickly turned towards the entryway we'd come down, but no one was there, and the entire beach was empty.

So why did I feel as though someone was watching me, and not in a very friendly way?

* * *

AN: Review?


	5. Relaxation and Anxiety

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing related to Marvel, either the comics, movies, TV shows, etc. All of that belongs to the Disney Corporation (though I might try kidnapping Captain America and Hawkeye some day, just for fun).

AN: Hello all! I'm so sorry that I didn't update last week –I was down with food poisoning, and couldn't get out of bed to do anything for days. But I'm here now with the chapter, and I very much hope that it was worth the wait. Thanks so much for your patience, and please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 5: Relaxation and Anxiety:**

As arrogant as it sounded, Steve had to admit that this vacation had to be one of his best ideas. Not only was Adena beginning to relax and enjoy herself, but Steve actually found himself joining her.

It had been so long since he'd gone swimming, he couldn't remember the last time he'd done it. He did remember, though, how he had been looked down on by the other swimmers because of his small size, and had been forced to go to the swimming pool early in the morning or late at night, when no one else was there. But the awkward schedule had been worth it, if only because he liked coasting through the water and being alone with his thoughts as he swam.

Here in California, in the ocean that was warm and blissful, Steve fell in love with swimming all over again. Though the soldier part of him argued against it, Steve decided to let his defenses down and relax, just for a moment. He savored the warm sunlight on his skin, the feel of the water to envelope him, and the euphoria of gliding through the blue ocean using his own arms and legs. It was uplifting and liberating, swimming in the sea, and he loved it.

Of course, it helped that Adena was nearby –he liked having her close, especially after everything that had happened to them in their time together.

When his stomach began to grumble, he quickly headed back to shore, his feet touching the sand as Adena was pulling out their picnic lunch. "Here, dry off," she said, handing him a spare towel. "The last thing you want is actual sand in your sandwich."

Laughing, Steve did as she asked, and dried off. "You should take a swim," he told her. "The water's wonderful. I can see why people love visiting here."

"That's because you didn't have to fight through a crowd of people for a prime location on the beach," Adena replied, handing him a sandwich as he collapsed onto his towel on the sand. "If we'd had to do that, you wouldn't be in such a good mood about it."

She paused to take a bite of her own food. "Though I have to admit, it is gorgeous out here, especially the water. Oh, look, a boat!"

He followed her line of vision and saw she was right –there was a large sailboat in the distance, coasting along on the water. "It makes me wonder if Tony has a boat," Steve muttered, biting into his sandwich and looking over at his girl.

And she was his girl –he had no doubts about that. She was his girl, his friend, and his girlfriend, fitting under all three titles separately and together. He had honestly never thought it was possible to learn to both like and love someone at the same time, but with Adena, it was something that seemed to come easy to him.

"Oh, please don't mention boats," Adena pleaded with a shudder. "As much as I love swimming in the ocean and looking at it from the beach, I can't go sailing on it."

Steve couldn't help but smile. "Seasickness?" he guessed. "I never figured you'd be the seasick type." A memory suddenly flashed in his head. "Though I guess I should have. You mentioned it on the hovercraft, when we flew out to meet Director Fury."

Adena shrugged. "It's okay; it's been a while since that day. But boats and I don't really get along, so if you want to head out fishing or diving with sharks, you're on your own!"

"Diving doesn't sound like fun, but fishing is something I might try, if we've got the time," Steve admitted. "Not on a boat, though –a dock or pier sounds good. That way, you can stand and make fun of me when I don't catch anything."

She laughed and pushed him playfully on the arm. "Stop it. I'm sure you'll do fine. Besides, fishing isn't just about catching anything; it's about patience, being lazy, and relaxing. So if you want to try fishing, I'm sure there are dozens of piers in the area for you to try it out on."

They finished their food in comfortable silence, and when the empty sandwich bags and water bottles were put away, Adena picked up the suntan lotion. "Like I said earlier: I don't know if your serum prevents sunburn, so I think I'll put another layer on you, just in case. The bottle says that it's waterproof, but I'm not taking any chances, since sunburns can be painful."

Even though Steve had felt a bit uncomfortable the first time, he decided that he wouldn't mind Adena rubbing lotion on him again. Like before, he sat obediently, waiting as she gently coated him with the protective substance.

"There, all done," she cheerfully said, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "You can go swimming again."

He turned and looked towards her. "Actually, I think I'd like to spend some time here with you."

She smiled. "Alright; but I'm going to read for a while. What do you plan to do?"

Stretching, he lay back on the towel. "Well, if that's the case, I'll take a short nap," he replied, then draped a towel over his eyes. "Wake me when you decide to go for a swim with me."

From under the towel, he heard her laugh, and couldn't hold back a smile as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

It felt like only a minute, but the next thing Steve knew, he was being shaken awake. "Come on, Cap, wake up," chimed Adena in a sing-song voice. "If you don't, you'll be all tanned on the front, but pale on your back, and you really don't want that."

Sitting up, Steve pulled the towel from his eyes and looked down. She was right, but just barely. His front was beginning a nice tan, but if he wanted to even out the look, he'd better turn over. So, with a groan, he did just that.

"I covered your entire face with the towel, so that you wouldn't have a weird tan line across your eyes," Adena explained as he propped himself up on his elbows, allowing the warm sunshine to sink into the skin on his back. "As soon as you're ready, we can go for a swim."

Grinning, Steve sat up. "Good idea," he said, reaching over and quickly lifting her up into his arms.

"Cap!" she cried as he carried her to the water. "What are you doing?"

He gave her an innocent look. "Going for a swim."

Adena's eyes instantly got a knowing glint. "Don't you dare," she warned him.

It was too late, though.

* * *

As water rushed up my nose and into my ears and eyes, I vowed revenge against the one who'd dumped me here.

When I surfaced, dripping wet and probably looking like a wet cat, Cap stood nearby, laughing. I quickly put a stop to that with a splash of water to the face, causing him to stop laughing and instead sputter in surprise. Then it was my turn to laugh –at least until Cap sent a wave of water at me, causing me to duck out of the way and retaliate.

The water fight was hardly epic, since Cap was at least six inches taller than me and in perfect physical shape, but it was fun to act immaturely for a while. There was more water up my nose, and a lot in my ears, and I was dunked a couple times, but it was all worth it.

Our 'fight' only broke up after I gave a surprise jump onto Cap's back, clinging there with my arms around his neck until he held his hands up in surrender.

"Okay, okay!" he said, looking over his shoulder at me. "I give up."

With most guys, I wouldn't have believed them, but Cap wasn't the sort to trick a girl like that, so I let go and slid into the water, the waves lapping gently at my thighs as he turned around. "That was sneaky," he jokingly accused me.

I shrugged. "Hey, you're taller and stronger than me. I did what I had to."

By now, we were both panting tiredly, and with unspoken agreement, headed back to shore. Cap immediately stretched out on his stomach and closed his eyes; I figured that he probably wanted to get an even tan. For a while, we sat and baked in the sun, turning over a couple times to dry off.

"When do you want to head off into the city for some exploring?" I asked him out of the blue, just for the sake of conversation, and to genuinely find out his answer. "We can go in a day or two, if you want to spend more time at the beach."

He was quiet for so long, I thought for a minute that he'd fallen asleep. "We can go tomorrow. I'd like to see what Los Angeles and Hollywood are all about."

That was fine with me, as it would give me the excuse to go shopping. "Alright," I agreed. "I think we should get Tony to find us a driver, though. I don't know the area at all, and with the notorious California traffic, who knows how long the driving will take to get there and back."

Just then, JT beeped, and called out, "A call for you, Miss. It's Miss Potts."

I quickly answered it. "Hey Pepper. What's up?"

She sighed. "I wanted to call and let you know that Tony and I are going to be running late tonight. We'll probably grab something on the way home, so you two are going to have to fend for yourselves. I hope that's okay."

"Oh, it's fine," I assured her. "Cap and I can figure out your kitchen. We'll live." I decided that maybe this would be a good time to ask her for a favor, since she already felt bad for not meeting with us tonight. "Um, Pepper? Is there a way Cap and I could get someone to drive us to LA tomorrow? We want to see the sights, maybe do a bit of shopping and other stuff."

She sighed again, but this time, she sounded a bit relieved. "Actually, Tony only has one driver that he trusts, and we're using him today. _But_," she emphasized, "I can promise that you'll be able to have him drive you tomorrow. Considering how late Tony and I will be tonight, I guarantee that we won't be going anywhere tomorrow, so Happy will be all yours."

I almost burst out laughing. "Your driver's name is Happy?" I asked, wanting to be sure I'd heard right. "I'm hoping that's a nickname."

I could almost see Pepper rolling her eyes. "His first name is Harold," she replied, a touch of annoyance and humor in her tone. "And yes, Happy is his nickname. He'll take you in LA tomorrow whenever you're ready. It's supposed to be an hour drive, but given traffic…"

"Yeah, I figured that," I said with a sigh. "And thanks for loaning us your driver. Maybe I'll be able to drive us to LA on my own, once I learn the route."

"No," Pepper firmly told me over the phone. "LA traffic is unpredictable, and you don't know the streets the way Happy does." I almost snickered, but the seriousness of Pepper's tone made me stop. "Trust me; Happy is a pro when it comes to driving, and he knows all the tricks. The last thing Tony and I want is for you to get into an accident on our watch, so Happy will be at your disposal whenever you want to go into the city."

Since her voice indicated that there'd be no arguments allowed, I quickly agreed. "Okay, thanks. So I guess we'll see you when we see you?"

"Give us a day or two, and we'll be ready for hanging out together," Pepper replied. "In the meantime, you and Steve have fun, and stay safe in the city. Watch out for the usual pickpockets and other minor criminals on the street, but don't let Steve try and be the hero –that's what the police are for."

Yeah, like I could stop Cap from being a hero! Still, I assured Pepper that we'd be fine, and hung up, my eyes turning towards Cap, who had sat up to look at me while I talked on the phone

"Looks like it's just you and me for the next couple days," I said while putting JT away. "Tony and Pepper are going to be back late, and will need to sleep in tomorrow, so we'll be on our own for entertaining ourselves. They did loan us their driver, though, which is nice of them, so we don't have to drive ourselves everywhere."

After my little computer was put away, I looked up and saw Cap smiling at me. "What?"

"Nothing," he said, smiling happily. "I just like the idea of having you all to myself on a beautiful, warm, sunny day."

I smiled. Why did the guy have to be so sweet?

Glancing at my watch, I winced. "I think we should call it a day. We've been out here for a while, and I don't want to risk getting burned! Besides, we need to get back to cook dinner."

Stretching a bit, Cap got to his feet and offered me his hand. "Okay, let's go. I'll shake out the towels while you pack up."

As soon as his back was turned, I immediately felt that same sensation I had before: that we were being watched by unfriendly eyes. The feeling had disappeared while we'd been in the water, but now it was back.

Taking a discreet look around, I saw no one in sight. I could be imagining it, but something deep inside said that there _was_ someone watching, and that it wasn't my mind playing tricks on me. But if it was an actual person, wouldn't Cap notice it, too? Wasn't he trained to pick up on that kind of thing?

'_Well, he's only human, after all_,' I reminded myself. Besides, if it was a person trained to watch others, they'd know how to keep themselves discreet and under the radar, right? But if they were trained, why did _I_ sense them when no one else did? Could hanging out with spies like Natasha and Barton cause their skills to rub off on someone?

'_Nah, that's ridiculous.'_ But the thought made me wonder. '_Could it be that this watcher is someone from SHIELD, sent to keep an eye on us_?' I packed up the basket and set it aside. But if it were a SHIELD agent, I wouldn't be getting the unfriendly vibes racing up my neck. Besides, why would they use an agent when they could use satellites in the sky to look down at me whenever they wanted?

Part of me wondered if it was Loki, up to his old tricks again, but I quickly dismissed that thought. Thor had promised that Odin would keep Loki locked up in a room that prevented him from using his powers, and I trusted Thor's word. Besides, Loki was a lot sneakier than this, and he'd probably be able to watch me without my getting a sense that he was doing it.

'_Now that's a creepy thought_,' I thought with a shudder. The idea that Loki might have been watching me long before he'd kidnapped me a second time was a scary one; the thought that he might be watching me right now, and planning for a third try at me, was terrifying. '_Thank goodness he's locked up in Asgard now_!'

But what about this feeling of being watched? Should I tell Cap about it? Or Pepper, or Tony? Would they say it's just my imagination, or would they take it seriously and start taking security precautions?

No, telling them might not be a good idea –or at least, not right now. I had no proof that we were being watched, and they might just say it was because I was still traumatized from my second encounter with Loki (even though I really doubt it).

'_If this still goes on over the next couple days, I'll tell Cap about it_,' I decided, rolling up the towels that Cap handed me. '_Then we can decide what to do from there_.'

With that small plan in my head, I picked up the now-stuffed bag and took Cap's hand, letting him help me to my feet while he picked up the picnic basket.

On the way up to the car, I made a note to take a long, hot shower, so that I could not only rinse off the feel of greasy suntan lotion, sea salt, and sand, but also the glare of whomever had been watching us on the beach.

* * *

Steve could always tell when something was bothering Adena, and today was no exception. As she drove back to Tony's mansion, he tried to decide if he should try and talk to her about it, or wait.

'_If something is seriously bothering her, she'd tell me_,' he reasoned. Adena never hid things from him if they were important.

But if something _was_ bothering her, and she didn't tell him about it, it might be because she didn't know if it was significant enough to tell him about yet. She might need time to think about it, that's all –he knew she didn't like false alarms.

Looking out towards the sea, Steve decided to keep his own concerns quiet. When she was ready, she would talk to him. But for now, they would enjoy the peace and quiet.

* * *

I was very thankful for Tony's full fridge, because if it'd been empty, we'd have a problem.

All of the produce was fresh, ripe, and ready to be made into a meal. The meats in the drawer were all prime cuts, and the range of seasonings in the cupboards was astounding. I wondered if Tony was a chef himself and wasn't telling us, but I found that unlikely –Tony lived to show off, and if the culinary arts were one of his skills, he'd have displayed it by flipping omelets or making sushi for us.

"I apologize for Mr. Stark's chef not being on hand, Miss," Jarvis said as I looked around the shelves, trying to decide what to cook. "I'm afraid he is presently on his own personal vacation, and will not be returning for a week. However, there is a hired helper that prepares items for use in meals, and those items are at your disposal."

Good, because I certainly was going to use them, with or without permission from Tony!

Cap and I managed to put together a good meal of potatoes, steak and salad from the stuff we found in the fridge, and when we finished, we loaded the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. After, we settled onto the couch for some television. Before long, I was yawning, and it was time to kiss Cap goodnight. Obviously, that was my favorite part.

As I climbed under the sheets, I realized that the sense of being watched hadn't been felt since we'd left the beach. Either the watcher had given up, or hadn't existed in the first place.

'_Or maybe they couldn't reach the house_,' whispered a part of my brain.

Okay, enough of the creepy thoughts –the last thing I wanted were nightmares resembling something out of a horror movie!

Rolling over in bed, I closed my eyes, and focused on falling sleep.

* * *

AN: Review?


	6. The Face Behind the Eyes

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing related to Marvel, either the comics, movies, TV shows, etc. All of that belongs to the Disney Corporation (though I might try kidnapping Captain America and Hawkeye some day, just for fun).

AN: Okay, so the villain of this story is not Loki; let me get that out right now, so people won't be disappointed later. Some might like who my bad guy is, and some probably won't, but I'm still hoping that people will like the story. Enjoy, and please don't forget to review. Thanks!

**Chapter 6: The Face Behind the Eyes:**

The next morning dawned bright and sunny –and with a good night's sleep, so did I. A quick shower and change of clothes, and I was downstairs in time for breakfast downstairs. There, I was welcomed with smiles and greetings from Cap, who had cooked a wonderful breakfast for the two of us.

"Tony and Pepper are still sleeping, but I just talked with Tony's driver," Cap told me while scooping scrambled eggs onto my plate. "He's ready to go when we are."

Since someone was waiting for us, Cap and I managed to simultaneously rush through our meal, but still enjoy it -it was kind of rude to keep a driver waiting, and we didn't want to get on his bad side on our first trip out with him.

When we finished, Cap and I headed out the front and onto the driveway, where a man stood waiting for us by a luxurious town car. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and could easily pass as a bodyguard, not a chauffer. But as he shook hands with me, I noticed the open, friendly smile on his face and the warm glint in his eye, and relaxed. Tony had chosen a good man as his driver.

"So, where to?" Happy (as he asked me to call him) asked. "Shopping? Popular destinations? Or would you two like me to drive through the city so that you can see the sights?"

Cap and I exchanged looks. "Well, I guess the popular areas sound okay," I hesitatingly said. "Though shopping does sound like fun…"

"Rodeo Drive it is," Happy said, opening the passenger side door of the black sedan. "If you and your wallet aren't drained by the time you're done, I can take you anywhere you want afterwards."

Grinning excitedly, I practically leaped into the back of the car, followed closely by a very amused Cap.

* * *

Watching the car leave Tony Stark's mansion, she cursed and turned the boat around, heading for the nearest port. Without a decent place to park a car close to Stark's home, and no way to scale the cliff upon which the house stood, she'd been forced to rent a boat and keep a very distant watch on her assignment.

Of course, she'd planned it this way. Keeping an eye on Captain America was supposed to be an easy job, but given that he'd be leaving one coastline for the other, Director Fury needed someone he knew wouldn't be distracted by everything California offered –someone who could get the job done, and without getting caught.

That's where she'd come in. It'd been so _easy_ to slip her name onto the list of agents that Director Fury had been considering for this task -after all, her record was long and successful, with few mishaps, and many of whom she'd worked with spoke highly of her. The Director wouldn't think twice about her signing up for the mission, though he might feel it a bit 'beneath' someone of her talents and rank. Still, she personally asked for this assignment, and in the end, Director Fury had agreed to her request, sending her here to Malibu, with the order to keep a good eye on one of SHIELD's most valuable assets. It was a mission she didn't mind one bit.

Preparing the boat, her blue eyes caught the glint on her wrist. It was a titanium rope bracelet, simple in design, with only one decoration: Captain America's shield emblem on the disc where it fastened onto her wrist.

Smiling, she hit the throttle, the boat surging under her as its speed increased.

* * *

Parking the boat in the nearest harbor, she quickly headed for her car and started the engine. It was a subtle vehicle, as she wanted to keep a low profile, but still expensive-looking, so that it wouldn't be too out of place among all the cars of the rich.

Cursing, she knew that there was only one place that Stark's driver was heading: Los Angeles. It was an hour away, and no doubt the driver was taking his two passengers there for some fun in the sunshine and busy streets. But given their head start, they could be headed anywhere.

'_But given that one of them is female, they're likely heading out to do some shopping, at least at some point today_.'

The thought of Adena Philips caused her hands to clutch the wheel tighter as she headed down the freeway. That girl had no right to be where she was.

Taking a deep breath, she calmed down and got her anger under control. There'd be plenty of time to deal with Miss Philips later. First, she had to find them.

* * *

After flooring it down the freeway, she managed to catch up with them. As luck would have it, the first place Stark's driver stopped at was Rodeo Drive, one of the best places to shop in the country. It was every woman's dream to shop here, and no doubt Miss Philips had plans to do just that.

As Steve Rogers stepped out of the car, she felt her heart speed up. She'd watched him yesterday, from a far distance, swimming in the ocean, but the view had been vague, and not good. Up close, he was as handsome as her Aunt had said: blonde-haired, blue-eyed, tall, with broad shoulders and a kind air about him that hid the dangerous soldier beneath. He was perfect.

A tendril of blonde hair flowed over her field of vision. Blowing it out of the way, Sharon watched him help Adena out of the car, the pair then heading down the street, holding hands. The sight made her blood boil, but her training kept her temper in check.

"An agent should never let their temper get the better of them," Aunt Peggy had always told her. "It might come in useful when you need it, but most of the time, keep your attitude under control. It could get you killed."

Getting out of the car, Sharon secured the doors and headed off, half her brain sliding into the mentality that she was an agent on a mission. The other half lost itself in childhood memories.

* * *

Aunt Peggy wasn't really her aunt –she was actually Sharon's great-aunt, through her father, Harrison Carter, a wealthy business owner in London.

In spite of the generation gap between them, Sharon had always felt a close bond with the older woman, and considered her to be a great and powerful inspiration in life. Many of Sharon's friends' old aunts had grown up as quiet, obedient girls, but Aunt Peggy was another story.

From a young age, Sharon had been given tales of her Aunt's impressive past. It was awe-inspiring, knowing that Aunt Peggy had struggled and worked hard to rise in the ranks of Britain's government, eventually becoming their liaison to the American armed forces during WWII.

Heading down a crowded street, her eyes fixated on the two individuals, Sharon allowed a small smile to form. She had grown up listening to her Aunt's adventures, and been inspired by them, right up to the point where she decided that she wanted to be a government agent, too.

At first, her parents and Aunt had thought it was just a phase. They had signed Sharon up for lessons in self-defense, gymnastics, and ways to train her mind to retain facts quickly and accurately. It wasn't long before she was exceeding in each of those, and her focus and dedication to her education finally convinced her parents to take her choice in life seriously.

Soon, Sharon was taking lessons in computer technology, firearms, and survival, all in addition to her 'normal' education. Sharon felt that she could have handled the burden of her entire education on her own, but there was one thing that made her work harder and better: Aunt Peggy.

With her Great-Aunt advising her, encouraging her, and lecturing her whenever she felt like lying down and dying from exhaustion, Sharon found that she rather _liked_ her training, if only because Aunt Peggy was both a mentor and a kindred spirit to her. Best of all, it all served as a challenge –and she did so love a challenge!

And it wasn't just the time spent training with Aunt Peggy that was a treasure, either. It was also the time spent afterwards, during down-time, when she told Sharon all about her time in America, where she'd encountered the man known as Steve Rogers, the soldier who would become the legendary hero, Captain America.

* * *

Catching sight of the man himself, Sharon couldn't help but give him an admiring glance. He was every bit as attractive as Aunt Peggy had said, though Sharon hadn't put much stock in her aunt's description of the man until she'd actually seen him herself.

'_Now __**that**__ will be a day I'll never forget_,' she thought with a quiet smile, her feet carrying her unobtrusively along the sidewalk.

In that moment, the bracelet on her wrist seemed to hold so much more meaning than it had before. Aunt Peggy had given it to her the day she had been accepted into SHIELD, as a good luck charm and a symbol of all the time they had spent together as mentor and student, and as aunt and niece.

"This new job is going to open the world to you," Peggy had said as Sharon slipped on the bracelet. "Just be sure to keep calm and focused on whatever mission you're doing. Keep your wits about you, and stay strong, no matter what danger you're in."

It was good advice, and Sharon had lived by it ever since. She'd strived to be a great agent, even though she'd barely been into her twenties when accepted into the spy organization. Age hadn't stopped her from focusing on her work, and she was determined to not only push herself to be the best she could be, but also to make her parents and Aunt proud.

That focus had faltered the minute she'd seen Steve Rogers.

It had been on the SHIELD hovercraft, where the Avengers had assembled for the first time. She had been on the bridge, in a far corner with one of the analysts searching for Loki, when _he_ had come into the room.

For an instant, Sharon was stunned. She had seen photos of him from old newspaper clippings and government files, and that he'd been missing for seventy years. Somehow, he had been found, and he didn't look a day older than when he'd vanished!

A quick stop at one of the available computer consoles gave her all the information she needed. Captain Rogers had finally been located in the frozen north, where he'd somehow been in suspended animation this whole time. When he'd been briefed on what year it was and what had happened to him, he had been given a nice apartment in New York City, where he might blend in a bit easier.

Looking back up at the man, she could see how her Great-Aunt could have fallen for him. Tall, broad-shouldered, blonde, blue-eyed, and with a kind face that could turn noble and soldier-serious in a second, he was a sight that could make any female's heart flutter. And when she combined the face with all of the amazing things he'd done during WWII –well, that was it for her.

Romance was a thing that had never crossed her mind before then. Oh, there had been the usual crushes on boys in school, and even on one or two of her male instructors, but nothing more than that. Love and other 'mushy stuff' were pushed aside in favor of a career that would take her places she could only see in photos and in her imagination.

But with him standing so close, but so far away, Sharon found herself imagining a romance with the man her Aunt had loved. She knew that Aunt Peggy had never married –apparently Steve Rogers had made such a mark on her heart that no man ever managed to measure up to him.

And there he was: handsome, single, and alone in a new time and a new world. So why shouldn't Sharon be the one to have him? After all, they were practically equals on many levels: both worked to protect the world from evil; both were in prime physical shape; and both were extremely intelligent and great with weaponry.

'_And we're both good-looking_,' Sharon admitted, eyes not leaving the couple as they paused before a store window.

Oh, yes; Sharon knew she was beautiful -her mother was a known beauty in England, and her father had been one of England's most eligible bachelors. Sharon had inherited her mom's blonde hair, blue eyes, and curves, along with her father's tall stature and slim body. Many male (and a few female) SHIELD agents had made passes at her, but she'd been so focused on her work that she had brushed them aside without caring.

But throughout the whole ordeal with Loki, Sharon had felt herself falling for the man and the hero that fought so hard to protect the Earth. Whenever she had a spare moment from her duties aboard the ship, she snatched glimpses of the footage being captured by various cameras. In one instance, she watched him battle Loki with nothing more than his shield and bare hands, holding him off just long enough for Iron Man to arrive and shut Loki down in Germany.

Another time, she'd watched how Captain Rogers had taken hold of the situation in New York City during the alien attack, his tactical training and mentality taking hold so that he could give his fellow Avengers assignments during the invasion. He was a real strategist, a man who could take charge of a situation after analyzing it and lead his team to victory. She liked that.

'_It also helps that he looks fantastic in that tight uniform of his_.'

When the situation with Loki had been wrapped up and the prisoner locked away in one of SHIELD's imprisonment cells, Sharon decided to introduce herself to the Captain when he returned to the hovercraft. If all went well with that first meeting, she would ask him out on a date right then and there.

But he didn't return to the hovercraft afterwards. Instead, Sharon found out through the grapevine that he was back at his apartment, and living with a woman who was going to serve as his private teacher. Apparently the girl was hired in an effort to get the Captain more comfortable with the modern world and to help him fit into it.

Unfortunately, that woman also happened to be a young and somewhat attractive one.

At first, Sharon had dismissed the girl as nothing more than a simple educator who would never catch the attention of Steve Rogers –the man had, after all, fallen for Aunt Peggy, who was a beautiful, strong, bold, determined, and somewhat aggressive woman. Adena Philips was almost the complete opposite of her, and therefore had almost no chance of attracting him.

But she'd been wrong. Somehow, Miss Philips had caught Steve's eye, and his attention and affection for her showed when he'd had to rescue her when Loki had returned to Earth and kidnapped her. All Sharon could do was stand and watch the rescue efforts, her face scowling at the screen as Steve smashed his fist into Loki's face, the man obviously furious that his new 'girlfriend' had been taken from him.

Jealous and angry, Sharon had used all of her calming techniques to keep her cool and not go start a fight with the girl who had unwittingly gotten in her way.

For several months afterwards, Sharon had done her best to try and push past the feelings she'd so quickly developed for the Captain. She kept telling herself that it was just a silly crush, one passed on to her through Aunt Peggy's stories, and that she'd forget all about him in a week or so. She tried loosing herself in her work, taking on some of the more difficult and delicate SHIELD missions so that her mind could focus elsewhere.

But her feelings never changed. Instead, she found herself 'checking in' on him through SHIELD computers and technology, just to see what he was doing. It always irked her whenever she saw that he always had Miss Philips at his side, and as she watched them, Sharon couldn't help but notice how their relationship as a couple was going very well for them.

Then the opportunity to be close to him came up. Director Fury wanted actual human eyes on the Captain, as well as Miss Philips, to make sure they were safe, and that there was backup there in case there was a "situation" and Captain Rogers needed help.

When a chance like that popped up, how could Sharon resist?

* * *

Inhaling through her nose, she watched as Steve and Miss Philips stopped for a lot of window shopping, then some ice cream when the weather got too hot for them. The whole time, the two held hands and exchanged affectionate looks and kisses, just like every other dating couple on the street. It was nauseating.

What was even more nauseating was how Sharon had been forced to watch them slather lotion on each other on the beach, then frolic in the ocean, the perfect dating couple. It was ten time worse than being seasick.

Letting a calming breath out, Sharon crossed her arms and decided she couldn't take it anymore. She was Peggy Carter's niece, and from what her father said, she was a lot like her. So shouldn't she be the one standing beside Steve Rogers, and not this little mouse who was so easily kidnapped by evil forces? Wasn't Sharon more of his match than the helpless girl standing beside him right now?

'_If she's that weak, doesn't it make it easier to get her out of the way_?' a small, sinister part of her wondered.

No, Sharon couldn't do that –she had vowed to protect people and save them from darker forces, not hurt them, especially not when she valued life. She couldn't go against everything she'd been taught by her Aunt, and the thought of breaking those sacred values was horrifying.

'_But what if I got her out of the way by other, non-violent means_?'

She _was_ a spy, after all, and she knew a lot of different ways to twist and manipulate people. Eventually, something would break between the couple, and Sharon would be there for Steve when it did.

Now, all that mattered was good timing and planting just the right trap, just in case one was needed…

* * *

AN: Okay, I know I might get flack for making Sharon Carter the villain in this fic, but I thought it was better than bringing Loki around for a third time (which I thought could get boring after a while). I'm sorry if I've offended anyone (like die-hard fans of Captain America), but please don't send me any negative comments or flames because of my use of characters, since I thought it would work, at least in this universe. Thanks for reading, and please don't forget to review.


	7. Lingering Eyes

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing related to Marvel, either the comics, movies, TV shows, etc. All of that belongs to the Disney Corporation (though I might try kidnapping Captain America and Hawkeye some day, just for fun).

AN: Here's the next chapter! Enjoy, and please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 7: Lingering Eyes:**

I knew that someone was watching us, and that they didn't seem friendly. I'd felt it since we got out of Tony's car on Rodeo Drive, and over the course of several hours, that feeling hadn't faded.

But even though the sensation had bothered me, I hadn't said anything to Cap about it. Oh, I trusted him and knew he'd believe me, but I also knew that he'd instantly turn protective and try to get Director Fury involved in some sort of ridiculous protection detail. Either that or he'd start hovering like a bodyguard over me, rather than simply being an affectionate and attentive boyfriend.

To keep all that from happening, I kept quiet and pushed myself to relax –the watcher didn't seem overly hostile, and when nothing happened after the first hour, I let my guard down enough to try and enjoy myself.

And boy did I have fun! Rodeo Drive is renowned for its high-class shopping, and here I was, walking along it with a government sponsored credit card in my pocket. If I were any kind of unethical, vain and selfish person, I'd have no trouble taking the credit card and using it to buy an assortment of designer handbags, shoes, clothes, and jewelry.

Lucky for Director Fury, I was a good girl, and held myself back. All I allowed myself to do was look in the windows, admire the items there, and keep walking.

Cap, however, wasn't helping in my attempts at restraint. He kept encouraging me to buy something for myself, and it took my pointing out the price tag on a few things to convince him that it wasn't exactly a good idea.

Walking down the street, I had to watch Cap's reaction to the difference between New York City and Los Angeles. New York had immensely tall buildings that could either shade a person from the heat, or send sunshine beaming down on you from a hundred windows, making the heat that much worse. Sometimes, it was like being a pizza in a brick oven, with the skyscrapers looming overhead and giving a person a sense of claustrophobia.

Los Angeles could be just as warm, but there was a breeze from the sea that could make the surrounding pavement and buildings tolerable. But in spite of the tall buildings, L.A. somehow seemed more open and carefree, with palm trees lining the roads and fast cars zipping by with their tops down.

'_It's kind of nice, being in a city where people can look relaxed even if they're in a rush to get someplace_.'

Everyone in New York always looked flustered and in a hurry, their eyes full of concentration on where they were going and how long they had to get there. The air was tense and filled with the sounds of cars honking and people yelling to either catch a cab, curse at somebody, or call out their wares from storefronts. I winced as I remembered how the air smelled of exhaust from cars, sweaty people, and other unpleasant smells (some of which rose from the vents in the sewer caps).

In contrast, California's aroma was on the opposite end of the spectrum. There was exhaust, but it didn't stick around much. The smell of sunscreen was everywhere, in a variety of scents, and those tended to mix or clash with whatever cologne or perfume a person was wearing.

"Explain to me how something could cost so much, Adena," Cap said, shaking his head at one of the displays in a designer window. "I mean, it's just a purse, isn't it?"

I snickered. "Don't let some of those shoppers or sales people hear you! They'd be very offended."

So I had to explain to him about famous designers, and how people would pay top dollar to get items made by their companies. I also explained how those items were made from expensive (and often rare) materials, and that, in most cases, they were hand-stitched, rather than with machines.

"That's no excuse for charging so much," Cap muttered as he watched a woman chat with a sales clerk, who had pulled at least five or six handbags down for her to look at.

Shrugging, I joined him in watching the wealthy socialite pick up each of the bags and put them on her arm, and then her shoulder, her face contorting once in a while as she rejected three of the handbags. Finally, she was down to two, and obviously couldn't decide which one she wanted most. In the end, she bought both, and walked out looking extremely happy.

"Well, keep in mind that handbags are kind of an art form now," I said. "Designers work long and hard to create something that's not only beautiful, but also makes a statement."

Cap shook his head and looked into a different store's window, where a lovely jewelry set glittered within a glass case. "I understand jewelry costing so much –gemstones and metals I can see costing a fortune, but not purses. A purse is just a purse, right?"

That was when I decided to end our talk about women's fashion, mainly because most men don't understand it at all. Instead, I pulled him into a smoothie place for something to drink –but even in the shop, I rediscovered the sense that we were being watched.

As we drank our treats, I should do something about this. I still didn't want to tell Cap about it; he was having such a good time so far, and I didn't want to ruin our vacation so soon. I could try and lose our follower, but Cap would wonder why I was hauling him hurriedly everywhere, and then I'd have to tell him about it.

"Hey, check out how many friends I've got online!" a teenage girl squealed as she raced by, flashing her phone at a group of girls she was apparently meeting.

That was when I felt like smacking myself for being such an idiot. I was friends with at least three spies, so maybe I should consider the idea of asking a 'favor' from them? Would Natasha or Barton be able to help me with this kind of thing? No, they seemed more like the type to shoot someone and ask questions later, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to drag them into this, if only so I wouldn't be dodging flying artillery anytime soon.

A light bulb went off in my head. Maybe Phil could help!

Of course! Phil was up to his eyeballs in spy stuff, so maybe he could give me some advice. Heck, he'd probably be able to tell me if I'm being way too much like a conspiracy theorist, or overly paranoid for no apparent reason. If I really was turning into a wacko, then I really _did_ need a vacation!

That made me pause a bit. Maybe I _was_ over-reacting. There was always the possibility that my subconscious was traumatized by my time with Loki, and it was trying to overcompensate by saying there were 'eyes' watching me, the way Loki must have been doing when he'd kidnapped me that second time. It could just be all in my head.

'_But do I want to take that chance_?' I wondered as I tossed my garbage into a container.

Because if there was someone watching, and they decided to try and hurt me or Cap in any way, I'd never forgive myself. If anything happened to Cap…

"I'll be right back," Cap said, squeezing my hand. "Can you wait here for a little bit?"

Assuming that he wanted the restroom, I agreed. The minute he was out of sight, I pulled JT from my pocket and activated him. "JT, I need you to contact someone for me."

* * *

It wasn't until I was tucking JT away that I realized Cap had been gone for a while. I had actually managed to finish a call to Phil before he'd gotten back, and that made me worry a little bit.

'_What if that watcher of ours got to him_?' part of me worried, right before I squashed it.

Seriously, Cap was Captain America –superhero, soldier, and thus, totally able to protect himself. Plus, since I didn't hear anybody getting the crap kicked out of them, it was safe to say that he was fine.

Rolling my eyes at my idiocy, I turned my thoughts towards my conversation with Phil, who, despite being out in the field on some kind of project, was willing to take my call anyway.

* * *

My friend had clearly not wanted to say anything to me, but after pressing him with how worried I was, he gave in and decided to leak a _tiny_ bit of info to me.

For some reason beyond my comprehension, Director Fury had ordered a pair of eyes to be kept on me and Cap during our vacation. Phil wouldn't say who the person was, or if they were male or female, but he did admit that this person was a good agent that was efficient, and one of the best. They were also supposedly a good person, or as 'good' as a spy trained in assassination and espionage could be, so Cap and I were in good hands.

"They can't possibly that good, if I felt them watching me," I retorted over the phone, my hand over my mouth so my voice didn't carry, and so the watcher couldn't read my lips to find out what I was saying.

That was what had Phil puzzled: how I'd managed to figure out what was going on. "Yeah, that's what I don't get. They're supposed to be top of their class at being invisible, so that you don't detect them when they're watching you."

How I managed to feel the presence of that agent was a mystery, and we both admitted that. "Could you at least tell me a bit more about this whole thing?" I pleaded to Phil. "Or at least the agent? It's driving me crazy!"

No, he couldn't. "Director Fury would kill me if he knew I told you even a little bit about it," he admitted. "And now I'm supposed to tell Director Fury that his agent has been made, so that they can be removed from their mission and he can put a different set of eyes on you two."

I sighed. "No, don't do that," I said, giving up on the thought of having a nice _private_ time with Cap. "Now that I know it's all under Director Fury's orders, I guess I can get used to the feeling of being spied on."

The intensity of those invisible eyes on me got worse. "I just wish they'd tone it down a bit," I muttered to him. "It almost feels like they're trying to burn a hole in the back of my head with their glare."

Though he could sometimes be a bad-ass, Phil could also be a bit of a softy. "I wish I could help you out with that, but it would only put the agent on edge. Trust me, an uncomfortable agent is a frustrated one, and that could only make things worse for you and Captain Rogers."

He paused, as though he were considering something. "Are you going to tell him about this? Because you know he's going to see something is wrong when you start acting funny."

"No, not yet," I replied, shifting from one foot to another. "If I have to, then I will, but I don't want to ruin everything so soon."

Phil sighed. "Well, you'll know what's best." Just then, something beeped in the background. "Oops, gotta go," he said. "If you have any more problems, no matter what, call me."

Then he was gone.

* * *

"Sorry," Cap said, coming up beside me and interrupting my thoughts. "It took longer than I thought."

In his right hand there was a small blue bag. "What's that?" I asked, craning my neck to get a better look at it. "You mean you went shopping? I thought you'd gone to the bathroom!"

He grinned. "No, I went to get something. Come on; let's go find someplace quiet and I'll show you."

Surprised, I let him take my hand and lead me into the lobby of a nearby hotel. It was bustling, of course, but even in a busy hotel, there's always a quiet corner where a person can get a tiny bit of privacy, if only for a minute or two. It was to one of these corners that Cap pulled me into, a small nervous smile on his face as he handed me the small bag.

"It's for you," he said. "Look inside."

Touched, I did so, and almost laughed. "It's a picture of you!" I exclaimed, pulling it out.

Actually, it was one of those little photo booth pictures, but somehow Cap had managed to cut it down to the point where it would fit into the locket he'd given me. I'd been meaning to take a picture of him, but with everything that had gone on, we'd never gotten around to it.

Reaching up to my neck, I popped open the locket and slipped the photo inside. It fit perfectly.

"It's perfect," I breathed, rising up to kiss him soundly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he whispered back. "Of course, you do realize that I need a photo of you, to keep in my wallet. Fair is fair, you know."

I had to laugh. "Okay. Let's go find that photo booth and we'll get some taken."

That was when I realized something. "But first, you have to tell me how you managed to cut the picture up so nicely. And what did you do with the rest of the pictures?"

Cap blushed. "Those didn't turn out so well. I tried following the directions as best I could, but it took a little while. I also went to a nearby store to borrow their scissors and get a small bag for it. It wasn't that difficult."

"Well, now we're going to go get a few pictures together," I said, taking his arm. "Lead on, Captain."

He beamed. "Gladly."

* * *

Riding back to Tony's mansion, Steve looked over at the dozing woman beside him and smiled. Her head rested lightly on his shoulder, and he very much liked it.

She'd been distracted and somewhat uncomfortable all this morning and early afternoon; he had noticed it, even though she'd been trying to remain calm and have fun. But something had been troubling her, and even though Steve had wanted to ask her about it, he knew that she'd be stubborn and not say what it was. He would just have to wait until she wanted to talk.

In a way, her distraction had proved useful, because it was while she'd been distracted that he'd spotted the photo booth. He'd seen them in a lot of shopping and tourist areas, but had never tried them. And when he remembered that Adena had wanted a picture of him for her locket, it had felt like the perfect time to get one.

His gift and his timing couldn't have been better. Adena had loved the photo, and immediately put it in her locket, eyes shining happily as the worry seemed to drain right out of her. When she suggested that they get photos together, Steve felt relieved at having found something to interest and distract her from whatever she had on her mind.

* * *

When they got to the booth, he watched as a couple already inside made their way out, giggling and making jokes as they looked at their pictures. "Why are they laughing?" he quietly asked Adena.

"Because you're supposed to make funny faces at the camera," she said, smiling as she fished through her purse. "Well, you can if you want to, anyway. Most people do it for fun, but sometimes couples get inside and take cute pictures of themselves kissing, smiling at the camera, or rubbing noses."

He had to admit, that sounded fun. Once they'd fed money into the machine, he tried to make room for her, but realized that there wasn't any –Steve could fit by himself, but he was a fairly well-built man. He was going to suggest cancelling the whole thing when Adena shifted her handbag a little, and settled herself in his lap.

"There," she said, putting one arm around his neck. "How's that? Comfy?"

Steve could only swallow nervously as she cheerfully said, "Smile for the camera!"

There was a flash, and that was when he realized a photo had been taken. Looking over at the screen, he saw that it was counting down again, and that Adena was grinning at him. The next thing he knew, she was rubbing her nose against his, and the camera was going off again. That made it twice that she'd caught him off-guard!

When the countdown began again, he decided to be the one to surprise her. As she began to pull back, he reached up and pulled her towards him for a kiss, just as the camera went off a third time. As the kiss ended, Adena gave him a smile.

"Should we make the fourth count?" she whispered as the countdown for the final photo wound down.

They both turned at that point, smiling as the final flash went off.

* * *

After the photo, the pair of them had collected the strip of photos and tucked themselves in a quiet area to look at them. They both approved of each of the pictures, though Steve was embarrassed at the look on his face in the first photo, where Adena had surprised him by sitting in his lap.

"Aw, but you look so cute," she'd teased while putting tucking the images away in her purse. He wasn't sure he liked being thought of as 'cute,' but he'd argue with her over that later.

They then decided to break for lunch at a nearby café, the two of them ordering light items like salads with chicken breast or salmon; lemonade; and a chocolate pastry for dessert.

Afterwards, they'd spent the entire afternoon browsing the shops, only this time, Adena insisted on going into a few of them. She didn't buy anything, but the fact that she'd actually gone into the stores told him that she was letting go of her worries and was trying to have fun.

A sudden jerk of the vehicle snapped Steve back to the present. Looking down, he saw that Adena was still asleep, a small smile on her lips as she dozed.

"Did you have a good day, sir?" asked Happy as he pulled onto the busy freeway. "You seem in a pretty good mood."

Steve could only smile. "Yeah, I did." They both had.

* * *

AN: Review?


	8. Eyes On Us

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing related to Marvel, either the comics, movies, TV shows, etc. All of that belongs to the Disney Corporation (though I might try kidnapping Captain America and Hawkeye some day, just for fun).

AN: Quick and very important note: I won't be updating next week, because I'll be out of town with no access to a computer. So I'm afraid everyone is going to have to be patient until I get back. Sorry about that. In the meantime, enjoy this chapter, and please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 8: Eyes On Us:**

I woke up the next morning determined not to let the watcher get to me. It was a shaky determination, but I would do the best I could, since I didn't want to alarm Cap or Tony or Pepper.

'_Besides, I know they're watching, though I don't think Phil will tell them I know_.' If he did, it would just cause them to use more covert tactics, or quit watching entirely.

Of course, that wouldn't be so bad, but heck, as long as I _knew_ someone was watching, and it wasn't just a figment of my imagination or my mind playing tricks on me, then it would at least be somewhat tolerable -though it'd be mostly annoying as hell.

With that, I got up, showered, and went down to breakfast, where I found everyone seated around the table. The air smelled of fresh fruit, frying bacon, sausage, eggs, and hash browns, and the atmosphere was warm with welcome. It was a nice first for me, since I'd missed seeing Tony and Pepper the previous mornings.

In the dining room, I was greeted with a hug from Pepper, a smile and kiss from Cap, and a grunt from Tony, who was tucked behind this morning's copy of _The Wall Street Journal_. I didn't want to know what he found so interesting, so I ignored him in favor of the plate Pepper set in front of me.

"I didn't know you could cook," I commented, spearing a sausage with my fork before taking a healthy bite out of it. Every time we'd eaten at their New York apartment, the food had been catered.

"I can't," Pepper admitted as she handed over a pitcher of milk and another of orange juice. "We have someone come prep and season everything before Tony and I toss it on the stove. We know just enough so that we don't burn everything."

Well, it was still delicious, and I told her so. Pepper appreciated the compliment, but Tony was so focused on his paper, he probably didn't hear a word I said. Rolling my eyes at him, I looked over at Pepper and asked what was on the day's agenda.

"More work, I'm afraid," Pepper grudgingly admitted. "Another company is interested in a business we're trying to acquire, so we have to try and hold them off while closing the deal. It won't be easy, but we're optimistic."

"Why don't we meet them for lunch?" Tony asked as he flipped pages, his head still not emerging from behind the sheets of paper. "Or maybe we could eat someplace nice for dinner; hopefully near a beach or pier."

Pepper and I agreed on that, and that we'd all be back in time for a quick change before heading out to eat. "Wear something dressy," Pepper firmly told me. "If you don't have anything, buy it, and Tony and I will chip in."

Since I didn't have anything that would fit the California night scene we were going out in, I agreed to buy something. Unfortunately, that meant I'd have to take Cap, because he was obviously not going to let me go by myself.

Exchanging an amused look with Pepper, I knew we were thinking the same thing: taking a man dress shopping was one of the surefire ways to test a man's patience and devotion to his girlfriend. I gave Cap the option to stay home or go off on his own for the day, but he wouldn't have it.

"Not a smart move, Rogers," Tony said, putting aside the paper. "You should have taken your chance to escape when you could."

Pepper glared at him, then threw a strip of bacon at his forehead. I had to laugh as he caught it in midair and stuffed it into is mouth, winking at her before he got up and headed out of the room.

"Don't listen to him," she told Steve. "Just go and have fun out there."

Yeah, time to let the fun begin.

* * *

The minute they set foot on the street, Steve had to assure Adena for a third time that he'd rather stay with her than let her shop alone. She eventually took his word for it, and led him to one of the smaller, less-expensive stores to find an outfit for that night.

As Adena browsed the racks of clothing, Steve had to admit he couldn't understand why men seemed to dislike shopping with their girls –he was actually looking forward to seeing her try on clothes and seeing how she looked in them. Even though he knew she'd want his opinion on each one, Steve decided to be honest with whatever she asked, because he knew she expected the truth.

Their first few stops were failures, once Adena took a look around and dismissed the store's contents. "Too expensive," she said about one. The second didn't sell the types of clothing she was looking for, and the third, she claimed, would probably not have her size at all.

The fourth store was more promising, and Steve was happy to see Adena connect with one of the female clerks, who pointed out several styles that Adena approved of. He watched her try on three dresses and a few tops paired with black slacks, and thought she looked beautiful in all of them, but she rejected all of them. In the end, Adena thanked the clerk for her help and advice, then led the way to the next store.

This one was more promising, at least in Steve's eyes. Nothing here was overly expensive or glamorous –the dresses weren't overly flashy, and the shoes not impossibly tall. It was more liked Adena's sense of style: subtle, tasteful, and elegant, with a bit of bright color.

In minutes, Adena managed to find an armload of clothes, and with the help of an eager young sales clerk, she took the whole thing back to the dressing rooms while Steve took a seat on a comfortable couch. Another clerk offered him a cold bottle of water, so Steve was happy to sit and sip his drink while he waited for Adena to make her first appearance.

"Waiting for your girlfriend, huh?" asked a feminine voice. "I think you're in for a long day, then, from the look of the pile she dragged in there."

Turning, Steve spotted a tall, dark-haired woman standing near a clothing rack, an amused smile on her face. He shrugged. "I don't mind waiting. Besides, I like watching her try on clothes, and I want to see what she'll choose."

The woman gave him an odd look. "Wow, the perfect boyfriend, huh?" she teased, a hand on one hip. "You'd have to be, if you're happy and willing to tag along on a shopping trip. She's a lucky girl."

"Well, I know I'm a lucky guy," Steve replied, "So I guess it's a mutual feeling."

"Cap?" Adena called before coming out in a pair of shimmering black slacks and a deep purple shirt with short, flowing sleeves. "What do you think of this one?"

He looked it over carefully. "I like it. It suits you."

She beamed at him. "Really? There's a blue top that I think I like better."

"Go try it on, then. I want to see." As she slipped back into her room, Steve had to grin at how happy and excited she looked. It was very different from the few other shopping trips they'd taken together, when she'd been all business and ready to charge in to find whatever it was she thought he might need, rather than think of just herself.

The woman shook her head. "Yup, perfect boyfriend. And you should tell her to get the purple top; it looks good on her," she said, turning to leave the store as Adena came out again.

Dismissing the other woman from his mind completely, Steve gave his girl a close inspection. "Definitely the purple, though the blue is pretty, too," he said, liking the way that the blue one-shoulder shirt fit her. "Get both."

She grinned at him. "You're just saying that so that I won't drag you to another store," she teased, causing him to laugh. "But you're right. I should have two, just in case."

Half an hour later, they left the store with a large bag containing the two shirts, a pair of pants, and some new shoes. As they headed into an eatery for lunch, Steve looked at Adena's relaxed expression, and felt a sense of accomplishment. She was finally having fun and letting go of her worries.

* * *

"He clearly likes her, Sharon," Ronnie said over her salad. "How many guys do you know would willingly go shopping with their girlfriends, then actually pay attention to what the girl is trying on?"

She had a point, but that didn't mean Sharon had to like it. To make sure they wouldn't recognize her on any accidental future encounter, Sharon had asked her friend and fellow SHIELD agent, Veronique, to "check in" on the relationship between Captain Rogers and Miss Philips. Ronnie was well-known for correctly assessing a situation in an extremely short amount of time, a trait Sharon had counted on in the past, and fully trusted.

"So, you're interested in this Rogers guy?" Ronnie said, taking a bite of tomato. "He's cute, I'll give you that, but what makes this one different from all the others you've been around?"

Glancing over at the couple dining across the restaurant from them, Sharon muttered, "It's complicated," and tried to focus on eating and keeping an eye on the pair she was supposed to be watching as part of her job.

Ronnie sighed. "It always is. Still, if you want this guy, I don't think you'll have to work very hard, especially if you put all of your feminine skills to use. Miss Philips is a pretty girl, and seems sweet, but she really doesn't stand a chance against you."

That was true enough. Sharon had seduced a number of men, but that was work –this was Steve Rogers, Captain America, and he was special. While seduction could be fun, and simple, she wanted to put in a bit of effort in order to win him over.

"That'd be too easy," Sharon grudgingly admitted. "Besides, if I were to seduce him and fail, it'd hurt my pride, and might even bring them closer together."

Ronnie raised an eyebrow. "You mean if you fail, and she sees him turn you down, she'll know he loves her, and then she'll fall even more for him."

That was it exactly. Sharon knew that Steve Rogers was not only 'old school' when it came to dating and relationships, he was a good man who was honorable and devoted to people he cared about or respected. From what she remembered from Aunt Peggy's stories, he would never let himself be lured away from the woman he cared about.

'_But if they were to break up, maybe due to some sort of fight or emotional struggles, that'd be a different story_.' After all, breakups happened all the time, right? And after they broke up, he might be receptive to a kind, understanding woman with a shoulder for him to lean on.

"I know what you're thinking," Ronnie said with a roll of her eyes. "Sabotage, right? When seduction doesn't work, that's always the other option."

That's when Sharon noticed a gleam in Ronnie's violet gaze. "But be careful, okay? Rogers seems like a genuinely nice guy, and I don't want you messing him up. He's suffered enough, what with his girlfriend getting abducted twice by that Loki character."

Spearing a cucumber slice with her fork, Sharon shrugged. "Relax; I know what I'm doing."

* * *

Even though I'd felt eyes on us the entire day, I was somehow able to have a _little_ fun. Still, it was really annoying, knowing that someone was keeping an eye on me and reporting back to SHIELD. I mean, the last thing I wanted was for Director Fury to know what time I used the restroom or what I'd had for lunch!

More than once, I'd considered telling Cap about the eyes on us, but I figured that Director Fury probably had his reasons for putting us under surveillance, so I decide to do what I'd sworn to just this morning: try and deal with it.

In spite of the watched feeling, I managed to have a fairly good day with Cap. I'd found some nice outfits, and a few pieces of silver jewelry that would set the outfits off nicely, so it wasn't a total loss. By some miracle, I was dating a man who did _not_ mind going shopping with me, and even encouraged me to try on things, rather than try and rush me through the stores because he was bored.

"You're wonderful; you know that, right?" I asked as Happy drove us back to Tony's house.

Considering I'd never told him that before, it was no wonder that Cap looked at me in surprise. "Why do you say that?" he asked, looking genuinely flattered and curious.

"Because you're a rare breed," I replied. "You take a girl shopping and not only come out of the experience in a sane state of mind, but you seemed to have enjoyed yourself. Very few guys can do that, and most of those are either gay or have an unusual fondness for shopping."

He laughed and squeezed my hand, which he hadn't let go of since we'd gotten in the car. "I just like spending time with you, that's all. And I like seeing you dress up –you always look beautiful, but seeing you in those kinds of clothes makes you more so."

I couldn't help it: I launched myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck so that I could plant a loving kiss on him. He was surprised, obviously, but as he pulled me closer, I could tell he liked it.

"Hey, hey, a little warning next time!" Happy joked from the driver's seat. "Give me a chance to roll up the partition, huh?"

Rather than answer him, I made a rude gesture in his direction, though I made sure to keep it out of Cap's line of sight. Happy chuckled and began rolling up the car's black glass partition –I'm guessing it came in handy whenever Tony wanted a bit of privacy in the back, especially if he had Pepper with him.

"I swear you guys are worse than Mr. Stark and Miss Potts," I heard him mutter just as the glass went up, leaving me and Cap alone together.

Chuckling, Cap and I pulled apart, though he did keep an arm around my waist. "You did look beautiful in those clothes," he muttered into my ear.

"Thanks," I whispered back, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Oh, I forgot to ask: who was that woman you were talking to back at one of the stores? The one where I bought the purple shirt you liked?"

"No idea," he said as the car pulled onto the freeway. "She seemed to think I was the perfect boyfriend, though, because I was shopping with you."

I chuckled. "Well, she was right. You are a great boyfriend."

The smile he gave me was full of affection. "That's the first time you've call me your boyfriend."

I realized he was right. "I guess that makes me your girlfriend, then, doesn't it?"

The brilliant smile on his face spoke volumes.

* * *

When we finally reached Tony's house, Happy let us out at the door, saying that he'd get the limo and be there when we were ready to head out for dinner. He also said that he'd gotten a call during the drive –apparently Tony and Pepper were already back, and were getting ready.

Grabbing my bags, I raced upstairs and frantically tried to decide what I was going to wear. In the end, since Cap liked the purple top and black slacks ensemble, I decided to go with that. A quick shower, a change, and a quick selection of jewelry and shoes, and I was ready. Apparently I had good timing, because when I got downstairs, everyone else was there waiting.

The ride into LA went quickly, with Tony pouring drinks for everyone while he and Pepper talked all about their days at work. It might sound boring, but I thought it fascinating to learn about the different gadgets and tech stuff that Stark Industries would soon be making.

Inside the city, I was surprised to see the limo slow down in front of a bustling entryway. There was a huge line, and I could hear blaring music coming through the open doorway and the building's walls. Scowling, I realized it was a nightclub, and turned to glare at Tony, who gave me an innocent look.

"What?" he said, as though it were the most normal place in the world to have dinner. "They've got good food, from what I hear." I gave him a full glare that should have had him roasting in his seat. Then he grinned. "Just kidding."

Knocking his knuckles against the closed partition, he called out, "Okay, joke's over! Let's go."

The limo pulled away, leaving me breathing easier. Honestly, the last place I wanted to take Cap was a nightclub! He would _not_ fit in, and worse, he'd probably be horrified at the clothes (or lack of) that the girls wore. Then there was this century's version of "dancing," which would probably blind or mentally scar him for life.

Finally, the car pulled up in front of a quiet building with a valet service. One of the guys raced to open the door, and graciously handed me out. "Miss," he said, giving me a nod.

When Tony stepped out of the car, and the manager appeared out of nowhere, practically groveling as he came to meet all of us. "Mr. Stark!" he said, "Welcome! Your table is ready, with everything you requested. Please follow me."

'_I guess he played the multi-billionaire celebrity card_,' I thought as Cap took my hand in his. As always, he was dapper in a dark suit, light blue shirt and dark tie.

Our table was in the corner, with thin veil-like curtains that could be pulled around for a semblance of privacy. Champagne had already been poured, a basket of warm bread was in the center by the lit candles, and four (yes, four) waiters stood waiting and eager for orders.

"I can only imagine how he treats just _you_ when you guys go out for dinner," I muttered to Pepper as we slid into our chairs, which our dates pulled out for us.

She actually laughed. "Actually, I think he's doing this more for you than for me," she said. "He likes to impress."

We both giggled as Tony rolled his eyes and Cap smirked, the two men taking their seats while waiters poured glasses of water, explained the dinner specials, put our napkins in our laps, and made sure that our silverware all lined up correctly. Menus were presented, and before long, we were in deep discussion about what we'd all be having.

Twenty minutes later, dinner was ordered, and talk turned towards what Cap and I had done today, and what we'd be doing tomorrow. As Tony began listing the many fun things that California (and his private resources) had to offer us, I began to feel eyes drilling into the back of my head. Whoever Director Fury's agent was, they'd somehow managed to get into the restaurant, and was watching us.

'_But why_?' I wondered. We were safe with Tony, and sitting in a place that, while public, was clearly exclusive. How did the spy get in here, and why did they feel that they had to keep an eye on us _here_, of all places? Did they think we'd be poisoned or something?

"Adena?" Pepper asked, getting my attention, "Are you okay? You seem distracted."

I wanted to both shrug off the watcher, and mention it to my friends. So how could I do both, without seeming crazy? "I just felt like someone was watching me," I said, trying to sound nonchalant about the whole thing.

Tony smiled. "Of course they are. You're one of the two most beautiful women in this restaurant."

"Agreed," Cap chimed in, smiling. "And I'm glad to say that she's mine."

Blushing, I picked up my champagne glass and took a deep sip. Okay, they obviously didn't think anything about what I'd said, but I knew better. The eyes were not friendly, and I decided that I'd tell someone about it tomorrow. Tonight was for food, friends, and fun.

* * *

AN: Review?


	9. Out in the Open

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing related to Marvel, either the comics, movies, TV shows, etc. All of that belongs to the Disney Corporation (though I might try kidnapping Captain America and Hawkeye some day, just for fun).

AN: I'm back! And now that I'm back, updates will take place as usual. Thanks so much for your patience; I really appreciate it. Anyway, here's the next chapter in the story. Enjoy, and please review!

**Chapter 9: Out in the Open:**

Though he didn't let on, Steve could sense that Adena really was serious about feeling someone watching her. It would also explain why she sometimes seemed distracted while they were out in the city –she had thought someone was watching, and it upset, or even frightened, her.

As their appetizers arrived, Steve mentally cursed and lectured himself for being such an idiot. He'd let his guard down on this vacation, and now Adena was probably worried out of her mind because he hadn't been paying attention to their surroundings.

'_So much for being the perfect boyfriend_,' he silently berated himself. '_Or the perfect soldier_.'

How could he be a good soldier if he didn't pay attention to things around him? If someone as untrained in anything spy- or military-related as Adena could pick up on someone watching them, what did that say about Steve's abilities? He might not have the overly sensitive alertness of a spy, but he should have felt _something_ when it came to this follower of theirs.

Part of him wanted to take a look around the restaurant and check out the other patrons, but he knew that would attract attention. He didn't want their watcher to know he was taking Adena's concerns seriously now. Instead, he would try and focus on having a good time –at least until they got back to the house. Then he and Adena were going to have a talk.

* * *

Somehow, she'd been made. She didn't know how, but it had happened –in a way.

Adena Philips had somehow deduced that someone was watching her, though she did not know who specifically it was. Sharon had made sure to keep herself focused on her meal, and to look calmly uninterested in anything else except her dinner. It must have worked, because Adena's eyes slid right over her, not even lingering as she searched the restaurant with eyes that were full of frustration and just a touch of fear and annoyance.

'_At least I've got Ronnie here, so that I don't stand out as a lone diner_,' Sharon thought with a silent sigh of relief.

"She knows we're watching," Ronnie said, correctly interpreting the look on her friend's face. "Thank god my back is to them -otherwise, Steve Rogers would recognize me in a second!"

That was a good thing, but it didn't help with the fact that Miss Philips somehow knew that eyes were on her. Maybe one of her SHIELD friends had told her? Rumor had it that Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton were close to her, as was Phil Coulson. Had one of them broken the rules and spilled the news to her?

'_If they did, Director Fury will have their heads_.'

But if Adena had somehow figured out on her own that someone was keeping watch on her and Captain Rogers, then Sharon would have to hurry and move up her plans, before Director Fury caught wind of her failure to stay incognito and took her off this assignment.

'_The only upside of this is that she doesn't know who, exactly, is watching her_.' It was only a tiny bit of reassurance, but it was enough to soothe Sharon's ruffled feathers. And as long as her identity hadn't been compromised, the surveillance could go on.

Slowly consuming her meal, Sharon watched as the two couples ate and drank and chatted throughout the evening. If things didn't go Sharon's way, Adena had better enjoy her happy evenings while they lasted.

* * *

"You've been hiding something from me," Cap said as soon as we were alone on the guest floor of Tony's house.

I sighed, not really surprised that he'd picked up on my uneasiness during dinner. Pepper and Tony hadn't seemed to notice, but then, they didn't know me as well as Cap did.

After my little quip about feeling someone watching me, I'd done my best to pretend to blow it off, just like they had, and simply tried to enjoy the evening. I'd eaten, drank, chatted, joked, and in a way had a good time, but I was still uneasy about it.

The ride back to the house had been uneventful, with Tony putting on some catchy blues music for us to listen to. Since we hadn't had dessert at the restaurant (we were all too full at the time), he also began passing around a box of expensive chocolate-dipped candied fruits for us to nibble on. As soon as we reached the house, Tony and Pepper said goodnight as they headed upstairs to their suite, leaving Cap and I alone.

"I'm not hiding it, exactly," I replied, heading into my room with Cap following close behind. "I just didn't know when I should bring it up."

Flopping down on the foot of my bed, I invited him to take a seat beside me. "It all started a few days ago," I began, looking down at my hands.

Soon, the whole thing spilled out: the feeling of being watched; me calling Phil about the whole thing and how he had told me Director Fury had set a spy on us, for safety reasons.

"Even though I generally know who is out there and why, it still bugs me," I continued as Cap took my hand. "I mean, I know they're doing their job and everything, but it just feels like they're hostile against me. And I don't know why."

"Maybe you can call Phil and ask if he can do something about it?" Cap suggested. "I don't like the idea of us being watched anymore than you do, and if Phil can convince the Director that eyes aren't really needed on us, then maybe he'll listen and have them leave."

I shook my head. "I'm betting he won't. After that whole thing with Loki's second visit, I think he wants to make sure that nothing like that happens on his watch again. And if I tell Phil to have this agent disappear, another one will just take their place, and it'll happen all over again."

I sighed. "I'll just have to get used to it, I guess."

Suddenly, I was wrapped in a warm embrace, with Cap pressing a kiss to my forehead. "It'll be alright," he whispered. "I'll be with you, and I won't let anything happen to you."

Even though I could tell that he took his words seriously, the two of us knew that there was no way he could keep me safe from everything. It was still sweet of him to say, though.

Pulling back a little, I pressed a gentle kiss to his chin. "Okay; bedtime," I said, smiling a little. "We'll see what tomorrow brings."

He didn't look happy about leaving me, but given how secure Jarvis kept the house, we were safe enough. "Goodnight, Adena," Cap whispered, giving me a kiss before he left.

On my own, I grabbed my sleepwear and headed for the bathroom.

* * *

Amazingly, I slept rather well, and the next day, Cap decided that we needed to see the area around Hollywood. Tony was nice enough to loan us Happy again, so after a quick breakfast, Cap and I were on our way.

It was hard not to get excited about our destination. I mean, it's _Hollywood_, and all I could do was keep my camera handy, in case I spotted any celebrities while driving past production studios. Lucky for me, Happy knew how to find out where the celebrities hung out –mainly because he had connections to the people who worked for celebrities. Who knew that Tony Stark's chauffer could become buds with other 'hired help'?

After hitting the areas around the television and movie studios, walking around the area near the infamous Chinese Theater, and taking pictures of the Walk of Fame, Cap and I were famished and decided to break for lunch. When I requested a nice place to eat, Happy immediately took us to one of the local restaurants where stars allegedly ate at. Since Cap and I weren't exactly famous, I had no hope of actually getting in –places like these tended to turn away the Average Joe by the droves in favor of seating the rich and famous.

So imagine my surprise when, after being let out of the car by Happy, Cap and I found ourselves immediately seated in a comfortable booth with menus in front of us. It wasn't until we'd ordered our food (all while ignoring the outrageously inflated prices) that I got a text on JT.

"Hope you're both enjoying your lunch. From, Tony," I read aloud, causing Cap to laugh just as our food arrived.

As expected, the food was delicious, fresh-tasting, and the best of everything. The organic chicken breast was perfectly marinated, sautéed, and diced to sit artfully atop the smoothly whipped mashed potatoes, which had truffle oil in them, and the veggies were steamed to perfection. Cap, meanwhile, ate his way through the seafood pasta I'd encouraged him to order, and he obviously enjoyed it.

The only downside of the meal was that I didn't see anyone famous. Even though I was Captain America's girlfriend, and I was friends with some of Earth's greatest superheroes, _and_ I was staying in Tony Stark's house as his guest and friend, I still wanted to see at least one movie star on my trip. I mean, isn't that why people visit Hollywood in the first place?

'_Well, you can't have everything_,' I mentally shrugged.

When I asked for the bill, the waitress had a surprise for us: Tony himself was covering the entire meal. Then a waiter appeared with a bottle of expensive champagne, two glasses, and a dessert menu. The waiter explained that he would have happily brought us the most expensive dessert they had, but he didn't know what we'd like, and he wanted to make sure that we got something we'd both enjoy. Being chocolate fans, Cap and I ordered the chocolate lava cake.

Stuffed to the brim, I excused myself to use the ladies' room, promising to return soon, to help finish off the rest of the bubbly. Giving Cap a swift kiss, I headed towards the restaurant's facilities.

* * *

The minute Adena vanished around a corner, Steve found himself face-to-face with a blonde woman who boldly slipped into Adena's empty seat.

"Hi," she said with a smile.

Steve looked at her in confusion, and more than a little suspicion. "Um, hello. Can I help you?"

"Actually, I saw you sitting here alone and thought I'd come over and introduce myself," the woman replied, giving him a flirtatious smile. "I'm Sharon."

From the look she was giving him, Steve could immediately see where this was heading. Back when he'd been trying to get Peggy's attention, one of his commanding officer's female assistants had attempted to do this same thing; only the assistant had actually forced a kiss on him. That had earned him Peggy's anger, and now that he was in this situation again, Steve had no intention of having a repeat of what happened before. Adena didn't deserve it, and if there was one thing he couldn't stand doing, it was causing Adena any kind of unhappiness.

"Sorry, I'm not interested," he said, leaning away from her and giving his best stand-offish expression.

Unfortunately, from the indulgent smile she was giving him, she didn't seem to take the hint. "Oh, don't think that's true." He tried not to flinch as she leaned closer, a lock of her blonde hair tumbling over a shoulder that was partially bare because of the dress she wore.

By now, Steve had had enough. Although he could mind his manners with women, he had no patience with people who acted like this. "Sorry, but it is," he forcefully told her. "I have a girlfriend that I care about very much, and am seriously not interested in anything you have to offer. Now please leave."

The woman gave him a surprised look, but before she could reply, someone behind his shoulder cleared their throat. "I believe you're in my seat."

Turning, Steve saw Adena, her face stony and her eyes cold.

* * *

If there's one thing a woman hates, its seeing another woman hit on her man. Until now, I hadn't been on either end of that experience, but now that I was, I could easily understand how catfights started.

It didn't help that the blonde in front of me was a knockout. Tall, blonde, blue-eyed, slim, with a face that was meant for perfume or clothing ads, she could easily be a model. Her attitude certainly screamed of her knowing that she was beautiful, and the snarky look she was giving me said, "Go away, honey, I'm busy trying to steal your boyfriend behind your back."

For a brief second, I was hurt that Cap was sitting with her, but the relieved look he got the second he saw me squashed that feeling -he was clearly happy that I was here to 'rescue' him from the situation. Poor guy; it took that look from him to remind me that he hadn't always been the handsome man he was now. After becoming a successful science experiment, Cap had never really fully adapted to his new physical form, so he'd never learned how to fend off unwanted female attention. That, combined with his old-fashioned manners, meant it wasn't entirely his fault that he didn't know how to politely tell a bold, flirtatious girl to get lost.

"I think it's time to go," I said to him, pointedly ignoring the woman, who was clearly giving me a hostile look.

"Absolutely," Cap replied, smiling as he got up from the table. "I feel like a walk along a beach; how about you?"

He offered his arm, and I wasted no time in threading mine through it. "Sounds perfect."

As we headed out the door, I dared to look back over my shoulder. If the glare the blonde was throwing my way could be turned into a weapon, I'd have been vaporized right then and there.

Stepping out onto the street, I couldn't help but be surprised at the amount of hostility in the woman's face. Sure, a lot of women had turned their attention towards Cap in the past, but none of them had gotten the nerve to try and approach him, not even when my back was turned. It had always been "look, but don't touch" with them, because they saw me with him and knew that he had a girlfriend who would put up a fight for him. When had that changed so suddenly?

'_Is it because this is California, and a whole different set of people and culture_?' I wondered as Happy held the car door open to let us in.

That could be it. California was full of beautiful people, from models to actresses, and the spoiled daughters of the rich who thought they could have any man they wanted. New York had them, too, but to a lesser degree; plus, New York was a lot more confined and populated, so the chances of meeting someone of that type were a bit slimmer.

'_Guess I'll have to keep a closer eye on him, then_,' I decided, leaning forward to give Happy directions on where to go next. "We'd like to take a nice beach walk, if we could. Someplace not so crowded, preferably."

He nodded his understanding. "I'll take you to that private beach near Mr. Stark's. Did you want to head back to the house afterwards?"

I thought about it. "Yeah, that might be a good idea. We'll need to clean up after walking through all that sand."

"Right you are," Happy cheerfully remarked as he rolled up the glass partition.

For a little while, we rode in silence, listening to the soft jazz music that was being played through the speakers. Then a hand reached out and took mine.

"What are you thinking about?" Cap softly asked, clearly not wanting to be heard, even if the glass partition was up.

I sighed. "I was just wondering why that woman made a pass at you like that. They were never that bold in New York." I gave him a small, sad smile. "I mean, I did have to glare at a number of your admirers to get them to back off, but I never expected _that_!"

By now, I was torn between being amused and being angry. I was angry that another woman would dare make a move on my boyfriend, but it was also a little funny that I was successfully able to swipe him out from under her claws. Cap didn't know how to get out of that kind of situation, which was kind of funny, but now I'd have to start teaching him to say 'no' to those kinds of women.

"You don't have to worry, you know," he said, squeezing my hand with his.

"Oh, I know," I hastily reassured him. "It's just that I'm going to have to keep a closer eye on you now. I mean, who knows what will happen if I leave you alone for more than five minutes somewhere?"

He laughed a little. "I guess I'll just have to work on how to fight my way out of that kind of situation," he joked. "I'll figure it out."

"I know you will," I said, leaning against his shoulder. "It's just…women like that tend to get bolder and more aggressive the more you say 'no' to them. Being the good-looking man you are, it might take the two of us to beat the girls off of you."

A hand went under my chin, turning my face so that he could press a kiss to my lips. "If it's just the two of us, then trust me; they don't stand a chance," he whispered.

The rest of the car ride to the beach was far more pleasant after that.

* * *

Fuming, Sharon tried to keep her cool, but decided to hell with it, and ordered a few shots of tequila to calm down. After a couple went burning down her throat, she did feel a tiny bit better, but for the most part, she still wanted to take Adena Philips and throw her off the top of the nearest skyscraper.

It didn't help that Steve Rogers hadn't reacted in any way she'd anticipated. Most men wouldn't have had second thoughts about taking her up on her 'offer,' or at least would have bought her a drink on the spot and gotten her phone number before their girlfriend returned from the bathroom.

Okay, she knew Rogers was "old-school" when it came to women, and suspected that he would be a bit more restrained or conservative when it came to talking and interacting with the opposite sex. But she'd at least hoped that he would admire her physical appearance and think her attractive –the guy wasn't made of stone, after all, and any type of man would admire a woman's beauty, whether he was taken or not.

Instead, she'd gotten the worst kind of response: he'd rejected her, flatly and without even a second thought or glance. It was humiliating.

Rejection was something that wasn't really new to her, but on the other hand, it hadn't happened often. Seduction was a skill she'd crafted over time, and as a spy, she'd used it all the time in her line of work. Most men were happy to play her game, even for a small amount of time, and even the few that tried to resist tended to give in to temptation after a while.

Not Steve Rogers. While Sharon somewhat admired his old-fashioned values, being rejected by the man she'd grown up admiring was infuriating. And why had he turned her down flat? Because of that plain-faced, goody-goody "girlfriend" of his! If she could follow them back to Stark's house without being spotted or caught, she'd grab her rival and throw the girl off the back porch, right into the ocean below.

'_Maybe, if he knew who I was, he'd see that he's with the wrong type of girl_.'

Now that was an idea. If he knew that she was Peggy's great-niece, he might just realize who he should be with, and dump the girl currently hanging onto his arm.

But if Sharon spilled who she was, she would have to eventually tell him who she was working for and why she was here in California. After that, he might not even want anything to do with her.

'_Well, first things first_,' she decided, taking one last shot. '_I need to get Adena Philips out of the way_.'

But killing her wouldn't be the answer, not when she was friends with Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton, two of SHIELD's best agents. Those two were known for getting revenge for the untimely deaths of their friends. No, this would require careful planning and action on her part.

'_I'll think of something. I always do_.' And when she was finally able to act, things would definitely get interesting.

* * *

AN: Review?


	10. Hidden Anxieties

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing related to Marvel, either the comics, movies, TV shows, etc. All of that belongs to the Disney Corporation (though I might try kidnapping Captain America and Hawkeye some day, just for fun).

AN: Hello, all. Sorry for not updating sooner; I was down with a nasty cold, which I'm still feeling the effects of. But anyway, here's the next chapter; please enjoy, and don't forget to review. Thanks!

**Chapter 10: Hidden Anxieties:**

A walk on the beach was the perfect way to end the day. Happy waited for us in the small parking lot while Cap led me down the steps, the two of us digging our toes into the sand and surf as we took in the peace of the empty beach and the sound of the waves crashing.

"You know, I've always wanted to collect seashells," Cap softly commented as he retrieved a small sand dollar from the ground. "They are just so beautiful and fascinating." He smiled at me, a slight touch of pink in his cheeks. "Kind of like you."

I gave him a skeptical look. "Which one does that make me? Fascinating or beautiful?" I honestly didn't think I was either, but it was sweet of him to say.

"Both," he replied, grinning as I snorted in disbelief. "You make things interesting for me because you are interesting. And you are beautiful, at least to me."

Unable to stop myself, I threw my arms around his neck and gave him a kiss. "You really are the best boyfriend ever."

Cap chuckled and held me close. "Thanks."

The rest of the walk was spent holding hands and picking up whatever little shells or stones we wanted to keep. No one could ask for a more perfect setting –the sun was warm, the water nice and cool on our toes, and a constant gentle breeze flowed off of the water. It was wonderful.

Soon, Cap's pockets were full of tiny mementoes, and I was surprised to see that the sun was sinking. That's when my stomach told me it was almost time for dinner, and my skin said I'd better get out of the sun, before I regretted it.

Up we went to the car, where Happy looked relieved to see us. "Mr. Stark called me an hour ago. He asked that I tell you that he and Miss Potts will be working until late this evening in his office at the house. He wanted to know if you would be able to fend for yourselves, of if you'd like to order out?"

I voted for ordering out. Okay, I was feeling lazy, but it'd been a long day and cooking wasn't high on the list of things I wanted to do tonight. Cap apparently felt the same way, because we quickly decided on ordering pizza.

Reaching the mansion, I raced upstairs for a quick shower and a change of clothes, then ran down again, asking Jarvis to pull up a list of pizza joints that were decent, close by, and delivered. In minutes, I was on the phone, giving our order, and by the time Cap came to help set out the plates, our food was on its way.

After we'd finished eating and put the dirty dishes into the washer, I was so exhausted, I was ready for bed. Even though Cap clearly wanted me to stay up with him, he wished me a good night, and promised to let me sleep in tomorrow if I needed it. I gave him a kiss in thanks, and headed up to my room. There, as I changed into my pajamas, I heard JT let off a stream of odd beeps.

"JT, what is that?" I asked, heading over to see what the matter was. "You're not having technical issues, are you?"

JT was quiet for a minute. "Apologies, Miss. It appears that there is a large influx of electronic advertisements being directed towards your inbox. I merely took the opportunity to delete and block them as they arrived."

Ugh, spam –I hated having my inbox stuffed with it. So far, JT had been effective when dealing with it, but he'd never made those odd beeps before. "Are you sure that's all?" I asked. "Just spam?"

"Yes, Miss. It is merely an unusually large amount, and it has been dealt with accordingly," JT replied.

Well, I had heard reports on the news of people or small bands of hackers sending out hundreds of thousands of spam messages a day, sometimes to just a handful of people. Maybe this was one of those instances? It certainly wouldn't be the first time I had my e-mail flooded with hundreds of ads.

"Good job, then, JT," I congratulated him as I slid into bed and turned out the light.

"Thank you, Miss. Sleep well."

* * *

"Sir, a message from Miss Philips's device," Jarvis said, jarring Tony out of the work-induced haze he'd been in. "Apparently it's important."

Frowning, Tony looked over at Pepper, who was giving him a suspicious look. Pepper didn't know what exact programs Tony had put into JT, but she obviously had her suspicions. Now, though, she was going to find out some answers, whether Tony wanted her to or not.

Sighing, Tony put down the legal contract he was reading through and sat back in his chair. "Okay, Jarvis, patch him through."

"Pardon my interruption, Mr. Stark," JT apologized over the wall speakers, "but I thought it prudent for you to know that Miss Philips has recently received a barrage of hostile and rather threatening messages via e-mail and text message."

Pepper gasped in outrage as Tony scowled. "Can you trace who sent it?" he asked, reaching for his own phone.

"I regret to say I cannot," JT replied. "I'm afraid that is beyond my programming and capabilities."

Damn it, he was right –Tony hadn't designed JT with that kind of thing in mind, especially since it was supposed to be a significantly less advanced version of Jarvis.

And speaking of Jarvis…

"JT, forward all the information you have on those message to Jarvis," Tony ordered, invoking his right to command and interfere with the other computer. "Jarvis, once you've got them, I want you to try and track down whoever is sending these to Adena."

"Understood, sir," Jarvis replied, immediately getting to work. "However, if the sender is highly intelligent and resourceful, the messages will take a great deal of time to track."

"I know that! Just do it," Tony snapped. "JT, how is Adena reacting to these messages?"

The computer was quiet for a moment. "She is unaware of them," it said.

Tony and Pepper looked at each other in surprise and confusion. "Can you explain that?" Pepper asked aloud.

"Such messages would do a great deal of harm to her, both emotionally and psychologically," JT explained. "As you created me to keep Miss Philips safe from harm, and she asked me to sort through her incoming messages, I deduced that the better solution would be for me to divert the harmful ones and inform you of their existence, rather than have her read them and become distressed before she approached you or Captain Rogers for help."

Since that actually made sense, Tony really couldn't be angry –it was, after all, exactly why he created JT, and the computer was only doing what Tony had programmed it to.

"Thanks, JT. I'll look over these messages and see what I can figure out about them," Tony said. "Keep a good eye on Adena, and make sure that you let me know the second you think she's got trouble creeping up on her."

"Yes, Mr. Stark." There was a quick series of beeps, and then the link was closed.

Seeing the look that Pepper was throwing his way, Tony threw his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay, what is it? You know I hate it when you look at me like that!"

"I want to know _everything_ that you know about this whole mess, as it happens." The tone of his girlfriend's voice and the look in her eye said that if Tony argued about it, he'd be paying for it for a _long_ time.

"No problem there," he hastily promised with a smile. "So, back to work? Jarvis can take it from here with the tracking."

After a warning glare, Pepper picked up a folder from her briefcase and flipped it open. Tony, meanwhile, breathed a silent sigh of relief as he got back to work on the contract he'd been looking at.

* * *

Even though I did my best, I couldn't get my brain to stop working while I slept. That encounter in the restaurant with that woman had triggered something inside me, and I couldn't stop the flood of thoughts, concerns, and doubts that filled my head the minute I was unconscious.

Consciously, I knew that Cap cared about (and dare I say, loved) me, but when a girl finds her boyfriend being hit on by another woman, it kind of does things to her psyche. And all of those things tend to come out in dreams, which is where the brain is frantically trying to work things out.

In those dreams, part of my brain imagined losing Cap to someone who was a lot better than I was. Dad had always told me that, no matter what, there was always someone out there who was better at things than you are –and so I imagined Cap falling for someone who was not only beautiful, but also a skilled fighter, a trained spy or soldier, and who would easily be able to hold her own in any situation. What chance did I have against a woman like that?

That's when the nightmares set in.

In a one scene, I was standing outside a door, listening to Cap complain about how much of a burden I was to him. It was torture, listening to him describe me as an annoyance, a girl who couldn't fight or protect herself, and who constantly needed a 'babysitter' to keep watch over her and make sure she stayed out of trouble.

The second dream was that I saw Cap walking away from me for a vague figure in the distance, one who held her hand out to him, inviting him to join her. I called for him to come back, but he kept walking, his hand lifting to take the hand of the other figure as he left me to fall down into nothingness.

After that, my brain played ping-pong with my thoughts, sending me back and forth over the idea that Cap was happy with me, but there was always the chance he would leave me high-and-dry when someone better came along.

Okay, call me insecure, but given that Cap was (at least in my mind) almost perfect, was it any wonder I felt this way? He was literally in perfect physical shape, he was handsome, sweet, funny, well-mannered and respectful to women. What had I done to win over such a great guy?

And more importantly, how long could I hope to hold onto him? Couples broke up all the time, so how long could I manage to keep a man like him interested in me?

At last, after hours of tossing back and forth, my exhausted body and mind let me slip into dreamless sleep.

* * *

When I woke, it was a couple hours after dawn, and a trip to the bathroom was very much necessary. As I was thinking about taking a shower, I caught a look at my reflection in the mirror, and immediately decided it might be best to head back to bed. Besides, I felt drained, and it'd be okay for me to sleep in, so why not?

After a second round of sleep, I woke up around noon feeling more rested, but still a bit like crap. A peek in the mirror showed that the dark circles around my eyes had faded quite a bit, and a quick application of makeup took care of them. I only wore makeup during special occasions and "emergencies," but given how exhausted I looked, the situation definitely counted as an emergency.

Obviously, it was too late for breakfast, and Tony and Pepper had decided to high-tail it down to his secret "lair" in the basement, so that left me and Cap to piece together a nice lunch of salad and sandwiches. Over the meal, we discussed what we'd do today, and quickly decided that a 'day in' was probably best. We didn't want to see everything L.A. had to offer too fast, and Cap didn't want to wear me out with traveling back and forth, so it was the best bet.

"How about a swim in the pool?" he asked, surprising me. With everything that had been going on during this trip, I'd completely forgotten that Tony had a lovely pool not far from where we were sitting and eating lunch.

"A swim sounds perfect," I agreed.

Plus, I'd give me the chance to see Cap shirtless again…

* * *

A day on Tony's large back patio was exactly what I needed –as was the sight of Cap in nothing but dark blue swim trunks. The weather was perfect: sunny, not too warm, but not too cool, so I was happy to slather on my sunscreen, pop on my shades, stretch out on a lounging chair, and soak up some rays while Cap dove around the pool like a dolphin.

I was just starting to drift off into a doze when I felt water dripping on me. Looking up through my sunglasses, I saw Cap standing over me with a smile. "Aren't you going to join me?"

Slowly lowering my glasses, I gave him a skeptical look. "You aren't going to dump me in the pool, are you?" I asked, eying him closely. "Because if you do, you'll be sorry."

Instead, he held out an inviting hand. "Come on, hop in with me," he said in a pleading tone.

Unable to resist those eyes of his, I got up and pulled off the wrap-around skirt I'd been wearing over my suit. "Fine, but no splashing."

Once I was up to my neck in water, I had to admit, Cap was right –the water was perfect. Before I knew it, I was coasting through the water, going from one end of the pool to the other in a variety of strokes and kicks. When I was finished, Cap seemed to be giving me a look of surprise and respect.

"I didn't know you could swim so well," he said admiringly as he handed me a towel.

Getting out, I accepted the towel and began drying off. "My mother never learned to swim, so she wanted me and my little brother to learn. We started out pretty young, and we managed to get pretty high up in the course levels that the school had. I was close to the top level, but I couldn't dive very well, so I stopped just short of getting there."

I grinned. "Luckily, Mom didn't mind if I stopped there, otherwise there'd have been hell to pay."

Cap laughed. "And your brother?"

I shrugged. "He learned the basics, but that's it. He was afraid of water for a long time, so it took a lot of private sessions with me to help him get over it –well, just enough to learn to swim, anyway. He can manage to save himself if he has to, but that's it."

Leaning down, Cap gently pressed a kiss to my lips, surprising me. "What was that for?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"For being such a good older sister," he replied nonchalantly. "And for being the good person I know you are."

Then it was my turn to kiss him. When we parted, I gave him a teasing smile. "How about we dive in together?"

He grinned. "No cheating in a fight, though."

My only reply was to push him into the pool, then laugh when he came up sputtering. My amusement didn't last, though, because he quickly climbed out and threw me in, which caused another water fight that I had to cheat at in order to win.

All in all, I'd say it was a pretty darn good day.

* * *

"So, any idea as to who's sending the hate-mail?" Pepper asked, setting an open can of soda by Tony's hand.

"None," he grumpily replied, picking up the can. "Whoever they are, they're good. My trace program being run through Jarvis has been bouncing all over the globe for twenty-four hours, and still nothing."

Pepper smiled and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "As good as they are, you're better. It might take a bit of extra time, but I think you'll get them in the end."

That was true enough –after all, Tony _was_ a tech genius. "You're right; I'll get them. Whoever this person is, they're banking on me, or whomever is tracing them, getting fed up and quitting before the trace is complete."

"Guess they don't know you that well, then, do they?" Pepper teased with a chuckle.

He grinned. "Nope."

That was when he felt a wave of seriousness settle over her. "So, are you going to tell me what the messages say?"

That made Tony pause. "Let's just say that they don't like the fact that Adena is with the dear Captain, and they aren't taking the fact that they're dating very well."

Pepper's quick mind put that all together fast. "But the only people who know about them are The Avengers, me, and a few of her friends at SHIELD. Since we know everyone who knows Steve and Adena are okay with them dating, who does that leave?"

"I'm betting that someone in Fury's little group of spies found out, and doesn't approve of someone 'ordinary' dating a valuable SHIELD asset," Tony replied, typing a few commands into his computer. "Either that, or they've got a crush on the Captain, or a huge admiration of him, themselves. But I don't think that's the case -besides Phil, Natasha, and Agent Barton, he wasn't introduced to many agents. Who gets a crush on someone they don't even know?"

Pepper scowled. "Possibly someone who, like Phil, is a huge fan of his," she murmured. "Adena was a fan of his, but she's grown to actually know him and fall for the man he is, rather than the legend she was told about."

She paused. "What if this person has the same sort of background: someone who heard stories about Steve when they were little, and when they got older, their admiration went straight to obsessive when they actually got to see the man himself?"

The two of them went quiet, remembering all the wacky fans that had emerged the minute that Tony had revealed to the world he was Iron Man. Those who'd had crushes on him from afar when he'd merely been a handsome bachelor billionaire had turned downright crazy when he'd been dubbed a 'superhero' by the media. Since then, it'd been a nightmare to keep people like that away, and security at every event he attended had to be extremely tight.

It made them both very glad that this particular house was on a cliff that was almost impossible to scale. The tall electric fence helped, too, and the airspace around the house was monitored at all times by both Jarvis and the local government, to make sure no news crews or fans with aircrafts could get within a mile before being turned back by either Air Force planes or Iron Man himself.

"If it is a fan-turned-bad, then Adena's in trouble," Tony sighed. "We should tell her."

Pepper didn't like that idea. "This is supposed to be a vacation for them. I don't want her – or worse, Steve himself – freaking out over this. Steve might just have them head back to New York, where we can't keep an eye on them, or he'll ask Director Fury for guards to be put on Adena. And you know she'd never forgive him for _that_."

She hesitated. "And if it is a SHIELD agent behind this, that person could try and do something very reckless and dangerous if they think someone's onto them."

The room was quiet as they tried to think about what to do next.

* * *

AN: Review?


	11. Tension

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing related to Marvel, either the comics, movies, TV shows, etc. All of that belongs to the Disney Corporation (though I might try kidnapping Captain America and Hawkeye some day, just for fun).

AN: Hi, everyone! I hope you enjoy the chapter, and have a great weekend. Oh, and please review? Thanks!

**Chapter 11: Tension:**

That afternoon of swimming at Tony's house, and the days afterwards, helped me put aside the uneasy feelings I'd been experiencing and focus on having a good time in California. I decided that there was nothing I could do about it; the spy was here to keep an eye on us, and there wasn't really anything I could do to get them to stop, so why keep focusing on it and not enjoy my time with Cap?

There had been one small bump during that time of relative relaxation: on a quiet walk along a street, I had asked Cap what a great guy like him saw in a girl like me.

Okay, so my nightmares of him leaving me for someone else had been bothering me, but I honestly wanted to know the answer. There had to be a reason why he was happy to be with me, rather than someone he'd probably have more in common with.

I expected him to get angry, upset, or even look shocked at what I'd asked. Instead, he gave me a soft, caring smile and took my hand in his. He didn't say a thing, but the look in his eyes and on his face said it all: he loved me for who I was, just as I loved him for who _he_ was.

For a while, we stood on that quiet side street, looking at one another and smiling. Then he kissed me, and I knew that there was no need for me to worry.

After that, things were easier for me. Cap and I went shopping, dining, and sightseeing all over the city. Tony was kind enough to loan us Happy most of the time, and once we got back to the house, the four of us headed out to dinner at some of the swankiest restaurants in town, where I managed to glimpse a few celebrities, some of whom were willing to pose for pictures with me. Cap didn't know who these people were, of course, but since I was having fun, it didn't bother him.

As the list of things to do in L.A. began to shorten dramatically, Cap suggested that maybe it was time for us to head to a different city. I agreed; I was getting tired of the sun and surf, and wanted to head someplace cooler for a while. I suggested San Francisco, and he agreed that would be our next stop.

This morning, I'd broken the news to Tony, who looked disappointed that we were leaving, but he kindly offered us the house he kept there. "There's no butler there right now, but a cleaning service usually goes in every few days to tidy up. You'll have to fend for yourselves when it comes to transportation, but you'll be in a safe neighborhood near the city, so you should be good."

"We'll be fine," I assured him. "I'm sure the transportation thing won't be much of a problem, but if it is, we can always rent a car."

Since Tony wouldn't dream of letting us take a train there (or even fly coach on an airplane), he loaned us one of his private planes. Cap suggested we drive, but after learning that it would take at least six hours, he changed his mind. I thought a road trip would be fun, but I knew that Director Fury would probably want us back in New York sooner rather than later, so I decided to accept Tony's offer of a plane.

The next thing we knew, we were touching down in San Francisco, and it was time to start a whole new part of our vacation.

* * *

"I'm not sure I like the idea of them being on their own like this," Pepper said, eyes not leaving the blinking dot on the map displayed on Tony's immense wall screen. The dot, of course, was JT, sitting in Adena's purse and their only surefire way to track their friend. "We should have gone with them."

"Not possible," Tony firmly told her. "That would make her suspicious, and we can't have that happening. Besides, the lovebirds deserve to have a place all to themselves."

"But they won't have anyone keeping an eye on them, or there to help of something happens," Pepper protested. When he gave her a playful, skeptical look, she rolled her eyes at him. "Oh, come on! You know how trouble seems to follow _you_ around! I'm only concerned that something might pop up while they're in San Francisco, with no backup."

Tony opened his mouth to argue, but she cut him off. "Besides, we still haven't found out who's sending those messages to Adena. They're probably getting suspicious that she's not reacting to them, and they might try to hurt her."

"Pepper, relax," he firmly told her. "I'm tracking the bad guys down even as we speak. In fact, I've managed to narrow their location down to the western half of the U.S. In a few days, I'll have their exact location, and soon after that, we'll know who they are. Besides, Adena and Rogers make a good team; they won't try anything stupid, and if one does actually attempt something dumb, the other will make sure to head them off before they do it."

She scowled, and for a second, he thought she was going to snap at him, which was usually worse than her yelling at him. Then she calmed down and sighed. "I know they aren't stupid or reckless, but I still worry."

Relieved that his girlfriend wasn't going to verbally skin him alive, Tony relaxed a little bit. "If it makes you feel better, I can get there in no time in the suit." Just then, something beeped on his computer. "Right now, though, I've got to track down whoever is sending that hate-mail to our unsuspecting friend."

* * *

All it takes is a seed of doubt to shatter the greatest confidence. Sharon knew that very well, and with the plan she had formed, getting what she wanted was going to be child's play.

The problem was: it wasn't working the way it was supposed to.

For days, Sharon had been sending anonymous messages to Adena's inbox via e-mail and text, all of them carefully worded so that they reached inside a person's mind and toyed with it, leaving the reader feeling disturbed, nervous, and slightly degraded. For maximum effect, each message had been strategically time to distribute at a specific time, so that they would continue to undermine and destroy whatever minuscule self confidence and healing a person might build up between messages.

It was a strategy that Sharon had employed many times in her work, and it was almost always effective in breaking someone who was weak. By this point in the game, Miss Adena Philips should have begun to break down and started pulling away from Steve Rogers, almost to the point where she would start avoiding him.

From what Sharon observed, there had been a few miniscule signs of that happening, but every time Adena looked the least bit troubled, Steve would do something sweet, romantic, or caring, and that would completely heal over whatever doubts she was starting to have. It was actually to the point where Adena was looking less and less doubtful about her "relationship" with the dear Captain, and even worse, it looked as though things were going a significant step forward.

How could this be happening? It made no sense!

"Really, Sharon, messing with the girl's psyche is just plain wrong," Ronnie's voice said over the phone as Sharon sent off another e-mail to Adena Philips's phone. "I mean, so the girl is Steve Rogers' girlfriend –big deal. What does the guy have that others don't?"

Ronnie didn't understand -until the day she had seen him on Fury's hovercraft, Sharon had never thought she would ever find a man to be her equal in anything. Oh, she knew that there were those who were better than her at some things, but when it came to her lengthy list of skills, it was hard to find a partner in life who could be an equal and fully understand what she did in her line of work.

Even though she'd never actually met him, Sharon had learned a great deal about him from Aunt Peggy, and from careful observation. She had watched every single video captured of Steve Rogers, and observed him from afar, using her skills in deduction and perception to figure out his personality, his strengths and weaknesses, how he moved, and, most importantly, what he liked and disliked about this modern world he'd found himself in.

After all of the hours she'd spent watching, studying, piecing together, and formulating all of her information together, Sharon knew the type of man Steve Rogers was. He was good-hearted, noble, patriotic, polite, kind, and determined to do his job (or his duty) to the absolute best of his abilities. He was also respectful to women, but not willing to be a doormat when it came to an argument, which said that he had some fire in him.

Best of all, he was a skilled superhero, meaning he was not only tall and handsome, but he was also in prime (if not perfect) physical condition. Oh, he could still become wounded, she was sure, but Sharon had seen him in action, and knew that there were few men in the world who could pull off the feats that Captain America could, armed with only his shield and, possibly, a loaded weapon.

'_He also knows that SHIELD exists, and what its purpose is_.' That meant she wouldn't have to hide that she was a spy from him, and he wouldn't have to conceal his identity as Captain America.

In short: Steve Rogers was everything that Sharon both needed and wanted in a man.

Obviously, there were a few problems along the way, the first of which was that he didn't even know she existed. True, she'd tried to flirt with him, and it hadn't gone as planned, but once he knew who she was, Sharon was positive that he would pay more attention to her. And when that happened, Adena Philips had better watch out, because Sharon was going to fight to get, and keep, him!

"Okay, Sharon, I've got to go, but seriously, why not pick another SHIELD agent instead?" Ronnie asked, the exasperation in her voice clear through the wireless earpiece. "There are plenty of guys who'd be thrilled to date you. You won't have to look far for a boyfriend. Okay? Later."

Listening to the call end, Sharon had to shake her head. What Ronnie said was true, but there was always the problem of "work-related" issues when it came to interacting with others in her career choice. Being a spy was a messy business, and dating a spy, whether you were one or not, tended to cause friction when one had to rush off to "take care of business." She'd seen dozens of relationships go south because both parties were spies, and if a job came up that required a person to be away for months, or even years, it tended to make a very unhappy (and sometimes rather unstable and jealous) pair of people. It sometimes became hard to count how many of those relationships went bad because of the couple's line of work.

But Sharon was confident that sort of thing wouldn't happen with her, once she managed to snag Steve Rogers. He would know about SHIELD, but he wouldn't really be part of it, not really. Oh, they might call him up once in a while for critically important missions, but not as a spy –that handsome face was way too open and easy to read for him to be in that line of work.

'_We could get to work together on missions_,' she realized with a smile. '_He could be my backup force, or even my partner, both in and off the field_!'

Oh, yes, Sharon was so much better for him than his current girlfriend.

Scowling at her watch, she huffed and glared at the house across the street. It was Stark's residence in San Francisco, and to Sharon's disappointment, it was in a location that she couldn't stay long in without looking suspicious. This neighborhood was full of homes belonging to the rich, and presently, none of them were up for sale or rent, giving Sharon no real excuse to be here. Her only options for keeping an eye on her targets were to drive through here repeatedly, or temporarily park across the street, which was only possible for an hour at most, before a police car drove by, the officers giving her looks that clearly told her to leave ASAP. Driving by was out of the question, too, for the same reason, and because she didn't want to risk being noticed by the ones inside the house –at least, not yet. So it was yet another hotel room, and the constant stake-out type environment, for her.

'_Meanwhile, Adena Philips gets to be with Steve Rogers, the two of them probably sunning together on the back porch by the pool_.' Sharon had to grind her teeth at that.

Right now, though, she was in luck –it was early in the day, the cops hadn't driven by yet, and her two charges were walking out to a waiting taxi. Most excellent!

Shifting her car into drive, she headed after them.

* * *

As Cap and I walked down the infamous San Francisco boardwalk, the feeling of being watched was back. This time, however, I knew there was no putting the feeling out of my head –the watcher seemed to be extremely close by, and that only made me even more uncomfortable.

"You've got that look again," Cap said. I gave him a curious look. "You look upset, like you did when you told me you felt like someone was watching you."

I sighed. "Sorry," I apologized, "But it feels a lot worse today than it did any other time I felt it. I can't explain why; it just does."

He gently put an arm around my shoulder and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. "Try and act natural," he whispered, for my ears only, "Now, try and look around and see if you can spot who might be watching."

Leaning against him, I let Cap pull me into a hug against him, one that let me hide my face from view under my hair, but also allowed me to carefully sneak a peek under the thin strands. I risked a quick look, and at first, I saw nothing.

No, wait, there! It was a blonde woman looking at merchandise in the front window of a small shop. Her back was to us, but I could see her reflection in the glass, the glare coming off of the bay's water and providing a subtle illuminating light that otherwise wouldn't have existed. I immediately recognized her –she was the one who'd tried to flirt with Cap at the restaurant we'd eaten at back in L.A.!

Trying to remain calm, I put on a false smile and pulled back from the hug. "We need to talk somewhere private," I said, trying not to move my lips.

Without hesitating, he smiled and took my hand, making us look like any other dating couple on the boardwalk. Eventually, we found a tiny concealed space between two small buildings, with the wall of one building jutting out further than that of its neighbor. There was just enough room for Cap and I to hide behind it for a quick chat, but not much longer than that. I had no doubt that Fury's little spy would find us fast -it was her job, after all.

"What did you see?" Cap whispered, eyes scanning the area behind me for any evidence of our follower.

"It was her," I softly replied, keeping a discreet eye on the crowd around us. "The blonde that flirted with you in the restaurant. She's got to be Fury's eyes on us."

A look of surprise and skepticism flew across his face. "Are you sure?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes and retorted, "I think I would recognize the woman who tried to steal my boyfriend." I paused. "Though I'm positive that it's against the rules for a spy to make themselves known to the ones they're supposed to keep an eye on, unless their lives are in danger."

Cap was clearly still a bit skeptic, but in the end, he believed me. "It _is_ unethical, and that's what has me concerned. She could have been testing us, to see if we'd noticed her trailing us, but I really don't think that's it."

I didn't, either, and I didn't believe for one second that she was 'testing' us. I had seen the look in her eyes that day, and I knew what she was after: Cap. She wouldn't get him, of course, but it was clear what her motives were for making her presence known to us.

'_Even worse: she's got the perfect reason to always be following us, too_,' I thought, gritting my teeth. '_She can always be near Cap, and if she wants, she can pop up and pretend that she's approaching us because of her job_.'

Part of me wanted to kick a wall, or sigh and hate my life. A gorgeous spy wanted to steal my boyfriend, and if she wanted to, I was willing to bet that she could totally make me "disappear" without making herself look guilty in anyone's eyes. Wonderful.

"Let's not panic yet," Cap whispered, causing me to look up at him. "Now that we know who's following us, maybe we can get Tony to help out somehow."

"Or I could complain to Director Fury or to Phil," I muttered, sorely tempted to do just that. "That'll get the monkey off our backs."

Cap looked confused. "Monkey?" he asked, clearly not getting the term.

I couldn't help it; I laughed. "Never mind," I chuckled. "We can decide what to do when we get back to the house. I'll even get Tony and Pepper in on a conference call, and the four of us can talk it over. How does that sound?"

He agreed, and the two of us made our way out into the crowd, looking for a good place for dinner.

* * *

She didn't know how, but Sharon knew that she'd been made. Even though the couple was acting like their usual selves, Adena looked rather uncomfortable and her smiles were somewhat strained. That meant she knew something was up, and from the way she was glancing out of her eye every once in a while, it was clear that she knew she was being followed, and by whom.

And what Adena knew, Steve Rogers had to know about, too.

'_Damn it, Fury is going to kill me when he finds out_,' Sharon silently cursed as she pulled herself back a bit further from the couple.

And if he found out, she'd be pulled off the mission in a second. Worse, if Steve spilled about her approaching him, and how she'd tried to make the moves on him, her career at SHIELD would be over. Worse, Fury might even blacklist her for any other government jobs.

'_I probably won't even get a position buying paperclips for offices_,' she thought with a wince. All of her hard work down the drain, and all because of that stupid woman!

'_Guess I'll have to take care of that, before they can do anything about me_.'

* * *

AN: Review?


	12. Unsettling Discussions

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing related to Marvel, either the comics, movies, TV shows, etc. All of that belongs to the Disney Corporation (though I might try kidnapping Captain America and Hawkeye some day, just for fun).

AN: Here's the next chapter. Please enjoy, and don't forget to review. Thanks!

**Chapter 12: Unsettling Discussions:**

Things weren't sitting right with Phil Coulson. They hadn't been since he'd gotten that call from Adena about her feeling of being followed.

As a SHIELD agent, Phil was able to handle most surprises and look calm about the whole thing. He'd handled Tony Stark's reckless behavior and outbursts; meeting Captain America himself; and faced down a demigod who'd brought an alien invasion to Earth, all without showing anything other than a cool, composed face or a few seconds of good humor.

But Adena's call had him slightly shaken. It was extremely rare for anyone to make a SHIELD agent; they were highly trained at being invisible, especially to whomever they were assigned to follow. The only times an agent's cover had been blown was when they had been compromised by a traitor, or someone they wrongly trusted.

Obviously, Adena had never known about the tail on her -no one at SHIELD had told her about it, so how had she found out about it? It couldn't be because Agent Carter had gotten sloppy, or because she'd purposely made herself known -she was one of the best in her line of work, and on the rare instances she _had_ been compromised, she'd made sure to "deal" with the problem before things had gotten too complicated.

Obviously, Carter couldn't "deal" with Adena in that way, not when Adena was friends with The Avengers. Even Director Fury liked the girl, but that was probably because she was one of the few who could put up with Tony Stark and somehow manage to put the billionaire in his place once in a while. But if Sharon had been made, she'd have noticed it quickly and reported it to Director Fury, who would have had her removed ASAP and a new agent in place before two hours were up.

But from what Phil had heard from his friends in the agency, no call had come in from Agent Carter about her being compromised. If Phil knew Adena, she probably understood that eyes were needed on her and Captain Rogers while they were away from New York, and she probably didn't want to get the agent watching them in trouble by "tattling" on them. So, she'd probably kept quiet, and hoped the whole thing would blow over.

And yet, something wasn't sitting right with him. He knew that Sharon Carter was the great-niece of a WWII British agent, namely Peggy Carter, who he knew had been briefly romantically involved with Captain Rogers. Some had thought it a good idea to put the younger Carter on this mission, while others disagreed –those in favor thought it would give her a bit of incentive, since she'd grown up admiring the Captain, while others thought that perhaps some sort of girlish crush on the man might interfere with her professional attitude.

In the end, Director Fury had given the OK for Carter to go, and all gossip about it went quiet, though people were whispering about it. No one dared say anything against Fury's decision, though.

But ever since Adena's call, Phil had started to wonder if the gossips were right about Agent Carter having a childhood crush on the Captain. If she hadn't always been a focused, devoted top agent for so many years, he'd have completely believed that idea by now. But Carter had been nothing but professional in her years with the agency, so it was hard to believe that her character and personality would change so dramatically, and so quickly.

'_Still, it wouldn't be the first time an agent went rogue because of some kind of psychological or emotional instability_.'

But that didn't sit right with Phil, either. He might not know Sharon Carter very well, but he did know she was every inch a good agent, and that she'd passed every psych test given to her because she was a perfectly grounded young woman with a stable mind.

'_I don't like it_.' And when Phil didn't like something like this, he knew he'd need help.

Not from the Director, though; the man had enough on his plate, dealing with the world's issues. It'd have to be someone who probably had a lot more information on Adena than he did right now –and Phil knew exactly who it was.

* * *

"Phil!" Pepper said in surprise, "What's going on?"

Looking up from his work table, Tony gave her and incredulous look. "_Phil_?" he asked, not sure if he heard right. "Why is he calling you?"

She motioned for him to be quiet so that she could listen to the other end of the line. "Hold on, Phil; if it's important, I think many Tony should hear, too."

Five seconds later, Phil was on the wall monitor of the work shop. "I know I'm probably bothering you, but it's kind of important." He paused. "It's about Adena."

Pepper gave Tony a look. "Do you mean the messages she's been getting the past few days?" she asked.

From the confused and oblivious look on his face, it was clear he wasn't calling about that. "Messages?" Phil asked. "What messages?"

Pepper nodded. "Apparently someone's been sending Adena anonymous and malicious texts and e-mails. JT, her personal computer, has been filtering and diverting them to us to trace back to their origins, but we haven't located them yet."

"That's not right," Phil muttered, clearly not happy with the information. "What do the messages say?"

"They've all got something to do with Steve Rogers," Pepper replied, pulling up a few on the computer. "They tell Adena that she's nothing compared to him, and that she's not worthy of being Captain America's girlfriend."

"Actually, that's the polite way of saying it," Tony put in, looking at the screen with the messages. "Pepper's cleaned up the language, so what they're actually saying is pretty brutal. If it'd been me, I'd be feeling like scum right about now, and more than happy to jump ship from the relationship."

"Which is probably what the sender intended," Phil softly commented, like he was talking to himself.

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Any idea how this person got the info on Adena?" he drawled. "I mean, it's not like the entire world knows that she's dating Captain America."

Something flickered over Phil's face that Tony and Pepper didn't like. "Phil, is there something you'd like to share with us?" Tony drawled out.

A scowl immediately appeared Phil's face as he replied, "We have an agent keeping a protective detail on Adena and Captain Rogers."

Tony winced as Pepper cried, "What? Why do they need an agent to watch them?"

"It's for their protection," Phil said, his face straight, though slightly frustrated. "Director Fury just wanted to be sure that nothing happened to Adena, especially after that whole second episode with Loki. When she told him they were going on vacation to California, he put an agent on them to make sure they were okay until they got back to New York City."

Pepper still looked angry. "And do you think this agent might be the one that's got Adena so uncomfortable? She mentioned that she felt like she was being watched, but I thought it was just her imagination." The glare she leveled at the screen should have had Phil roasting alive where he stood. "So she wasn't imagining it, and now she's possibly in danger from the person sent to keep her safe?"

Sensing that things were about to get messy, Tony asked, "Are you going to pull out the agent?"

Phil shook his head. "It's not my call. Director Fury's the one who put them in place, and he's the only one who can pull them out. I could call him and let him know what's going on, but any contact with the agent might spook them into acting." He paused. "Besides, it might not even be the agent sending the messages."

That was probably because he was hoping it wasn't a case of an agent going bad, which could lead to a bunch of problems for everyone, not just SHIELD.

"Well, I've got the origins of the messages traced down to the West Coast," Tony said, just as the computer with the tracking program beeped. "Correction, I've got it down to…California."

Everyone went quiet. "It's got to be a coincidence," Pepper softly said.

"Too bad I don't believe in coincidence," Phil replied. "Not when it comes to my line of work."

Tony nodded and watched his program continue to work. "Agreed. So should we call Adena about this, and get Rogers to keep a closer eye on her?"

Phil nodded. "I'm on it."

"We are, too," Pepper firmly put in. "Tony's ready to head out if Adena needs help. He can get to San Francisco faster than any plane could."

At those words, Phil went pale. "She's not in L.A.?" he asked.

Tony and Pepper exchanged concerned looks. "No," Tony drawled out. "Why?"

"Because we have no agents there to back you and Captain Rogers up," Phil replied. "The ones that are there are on undercover missions of their own, and they'll blow their covers if they try to help out."

"We'll take care of it," Tony firmly replied. "You call Adena, and I'll see what I can do to get the two of them back here ASAP."

* * *

The woman was following us again, but now that I knew who she was and what she was doing, I was able to adjust and _not_ look at her whenever Cap and I went out.

"A call for you, Miss," JT suddenly chimed from inside my purse. I was so startled that I nearly spilled my ice cream all over Cap's shirt.

"You see, this is why I don't want a portable phone," Cap joked as I glared at him and handed him the paper cup holding my treat.

Retrieving JT, I asked him who it was. His reply of "Agent Coulson" surprised me again, but I quickly recovered and answered. "Phil, what is it?"

"Don't talk, just listen," Phil ordered, the tone of his voice scaring me. "Stark and I believe that the agent sent to keep an eye on you is starting to go rogue. You and Captain Rogers need to get back to wherever you're staying as soon as possible, but without alerting the agent that something's wrong. When you're secure, call me back and I'll fill you in on the details."

Something inside of me snapped into place. "Got it," I replied before ending the call and tucking JT into my pocket, rather than my purse.

Turning to my boyfriend, I whispered, "Cap, we need to get back, right now, but without worrying the person watching us. Let's take it slow and easy, okay?"

He nodded, then handed me back my ice cream. The two of us then began heading down the street, eating our frozen treats and looking in windows, acting as though nothing was bothering us. As soon as we finished eating, Cap and I tossed our trash and linked hands, the action a subtle, silent agreement between us to head back to the house.

The entire journey back seemed shadowed by Phil's surprise call –I was scared as hell, and Cap seemed to sense that, because he clutched my hand protectively until the front door of Tony's house was locked behind us. After that, he made sure to check the doors and windows, and pull the curtains shut, even though Tony had a totally awesome alarm system that JT could activate or deactivate without us having to do anything. Cap said he was just to be cautious, but I honestly didn't have the heart to tell him to stop what he was doing.

Once we felt secure, I called Phil and asked if we could talk to him using the television, so that we could chat face-to-face. Phil agreed, and the three of us were soon looking at each other, all of us worried, and me totally starting to freak out.

"I'm sorry to scare you, Adena," Phil apologized from behind the desk he was sitting at. "But you and Captain Rogers really need to know what's going on here."

"It's okay, Phil," I assured him, trying to appear calm. "Just go ahead."

An image appeared on the screen beside him –it was the woman Cap and I had seen at the restaurant and on the street, dressed in a basic black spy outfit and gear. "This is Agent Sharon Carter," Phil said flatly. "She's the great-niece of British agent Peggy Carter. I believe Captain Rogers if familiar with who she is."

Beside me, Cap had gone pale. "Peggy's niece?" he quietly asked, shocked.

"Whoa, stop," I said, waving my hands at them. "Who is Peggy Carter?"

Cap looked extremely uncomfortable as Phil replied, "She was a British agent sent to the U.S. during WWII as a go-between for her government and ours. She was also Captain Rogers's training instructor, and for a short time, she and Captain Rogers were romantically involved."

For a second, I saw green and red as envy and anger shot through me. Of course, his past was just that, and any woman Cap had liked back then would either be very old or dead by now, but it still hurt that he hadn't told me about her.

Then an arm slipped around my shoulders, and that's when the anger cooled a little, as did the jealousy. Looking up into Cap's eyes, I knew that he cared about me -I was his girlfriend now, not her, and his feelings for me were very real.

To my surprise, I actually began to feel a bit sorry for Peggy Carter. She'd lost a man she'd begun falling for, and probably thought him dead for the rest of her life. She might know now that he was alive, but I had no doubt that part of her would always carry sadness and regret for what might have been. It was almost enough to make me cry right then and there.

"So Peggy's great-niece is our detail," I said, trying to clear things up. "So, what, she's completely lost it or something?"

"I wouldn't say that, exactly, but she has been doing quite a few things off the grid and out of the ordinary for the professional agent she is," Phil replied. "You don't know this, Adena, but Agent Sharon Carter has been sending you malicious messages. They never made it to you, thanks to that clever little computer Stark gave you."

Pulling out JT, I looked at the computer and asked, "JT? Is that true? Have you been diverting my messages?"

There was a pause. "Yes, Miss," he replied. "I have a built-in system that automatically scans your incoming e-mails and text messages, and once I discovered their contents, I thought it best to do so. They would only have harmed you emotionally and mentally, and it is my task to keep you safe from harm. I informed Mr. Stark of their existence, and he is currently searching for the culprit."

"Well, as nice as that is of him, I really wish someone had told me all of this earlier," I retorted with a frown. "It's really annoying, being out of the loop."

Cap gave my shoulders a comforting squeeze, which made me feel a bit better, but only a little. Sighing, I looked back at Phil on the screen. "So the great-niece of Cap's former girlfriend wants to…what? Scare me or something?"

"From what Stark and I can figure out, she wants you and the Captain to break up," Phil replied. "We're not sure why, but at this point, we don't really care. All we want to do is to keep you safe, and deal with Agent Carter before she does something drastic."

"Drastic?" Cap said, growing worried. "How drastic are we talking about?"

Phil looked a little uncomfortable. "Hopefully not too drastic. She has been trained by her aunt, as well as some of the best instructors in self-defense, espionage, and intelligence. Since Peggy Carter has always cared about protecting others and _saving_ lives, not taking them, we can assume the current Agent Carter has those same values, so it's likely she'll do her best to scare off Adena, but not much more than that."

I saw a deep frown form on Cap's handsome face. "You don't sound very confident," he said as his body stiffened, like he expected an attack any second now.

Sighing, Phil shook his head. "I'm not. Right now, I'm trying to get through to Director Fury about this. When I do get to talk to him, it'll take a little while to convince him about the situation, and then we'll have to figure out a plan on how to deal with it."

I swallowed harshly, hoping he didn't mean what I thought he did. "And by 'deal with it,' you mean…"

"We'll send in a team to extract Agent Carter before she can act her aggressions out on you," he replied, much to my relief. "However, that could take a few days, since we currently have no extraction team near your location. Once we get that put together, it shouldn't take long to get the whole thing wrapped up."

"So what do we do? Stay inside until it's dealt with?" Cap asked. "Won't it look suspicious if we suddenly stop going out?"

"Well, we can't have you just up and leave," Phil replied. "That would look even more suspicious, and even then, she'd probably follow you wherever you go. Waiting this whole thing out is probably your best bet."

"I could pretend to be sick," I suggested. "You know, with a cold or the flu or something. That'll give us an excuse to stay indoors."

It killed me inside to say that. In spite of having an agent on our tail, I was really starting to like San Francisco, and now I'd have to stay inside for who-knows-how-long until they caught that same agent. Oh, well; maybe, after Agent Carter was out of our hair, I could finally start having a carefree vacation.

"That might be best," Phil admitted. "Stay inside, and if Stark's got an alarm in the place, keep it on, no matter what. Got it?"

Cap and I both nodded. "We'll be careful," I assured him. "Cap will take good care of me."

"Always," Cap said, holding me close. "You make sure to get her off our backs, sooner rather than later, Phil. I'm counting on you for that."

"I'll do my best," Phil replied. "Remember, it'll take a little bit, but we'll do our best to work fast. Just stay safe, and keep in touch. Adena, make sure to keep Natasha's gift handy, and JT, too. I'll call later tonight or early tomorrow, to let you know how things are going."

Then it was just me and Cap. "So what do we do now?" I asked, looking up at him.

"Make dinner?" he suggested. "I know you love raiding Tony's kitchen."

Laughing in spite of our situation, we went to the kitchen to see what we had to work with for the next few days.

* * *

Sitting outside the Stark residence, Sharon looked through her scopes to track their heat signatures, a handy gadget she'd just added to her arsenal, and knew something was up. The couple had cut off their afternoon trip into town far too early, and immediately returned to the house, where they closed the curtains before going to stand in the living room, looking at the television screen. They could have been watching television, but she didn't think so. It was all too quick.

'_It had to have been that call she took_,' Sharon realized. '_Someone must have called her about something. But who had called, and what could they have said to her to get them to head home so fast_?'

It could have been anyone, but she was willing to bet it was someone like Tony Stark, or possibly even Director Fury. Was Fury instructing them to head back to New York earlier than planned? But if so, why hadn't he called Sharon to tell him what he was up to?

Well, whatever it was, it was over now. They were moving into the kitchen, and from the way Steve Rogers was holding Adena Philips's shoulders, whatever had happened couldn't have been good. Maybe they had been ordered back early, and Director Fury would be calling any second to terminate her mission?

Minutes ticked by, and no call came. So if it wasn't Director Fury calling them, then who was it?

Sharon began to get that nagging feeling again. Something was telling her to act now, quickly, before something happened and she lost her chance at dealing with Adena Philips before it was too late. But she was no green agent –she knew the value of patience, and when she figured out when the right moment was, she'd act.

'_Patience_,' she kept telling herself as she was forced to leave, before the local cops came around on their patrol and saw her. '_Patience_.'

* * *

AN: Review?


	13. Taking Action

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing related to Marvel, either the comics, movies, TV shows, etc. All of that belongs to the Disney Corporation (though I might try kidnapping Captain America and Hawkeye some day, just for fun).

AN: Here's the next chapter. Have fun reading, and please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 13: Taking Action:**

At first, staying inside wasn't so bad. During our self-imposed confinement, Cap did his best to keep us both occupied, the two of us spending a couple days watching movies, reading, and getting him a bit more caught up on modern culture. It was almost like the way things were back in New York, only in a different setting.

But after a while, we started to get the urge to go out. Given that we were in California and we'd been out getting sun, surf and fresh breezes off of the ocean for over a week, was it any wonder we were dying to go outside for more?

Lucky for us, Tony had a moderate, fenced-in backyard we could hang out in. It was like any normal person's backyard: just big enough for a wooden deck, some grass, a small hot tub off to the side of the deck, and a few rose bushes. Of course, in San Francisco, where real estate was unbelievably expensive, a "normal" backyard cost an arm and a leg, so whenever we went out to sit and sip lemonade and read, I counted ourselves lucky in that regard.

The hot tub was a plus, too, if because it gave me the excuse to see Cap shirtless. We only used the tub once, but it was enough –there was only so much my poor brain could handle when it came to seeing my boyfriend in his swim trunks.

Day three of our seclusion was half-gone when I noticed that Cap was pacing the floor, eyes flicking towards the window at the front of the living room. We'd left the shades open, for natural light, but I knew that was Cap unhappy with the choice, since he felt it left us open and exposed to whomever might want to look in and see what we were up to.

"Hiding behind closed drapes won't solve anything," I was constantly telling him. "Especially if they can track us through the heat our bodies give off. Besides, I like having sunlight in the house."

Besides, I didn't think that Agent Carter was going to shoot me –if that's what she'd had in mind, she'd have done it already. She was just trying to intimidate me into leaving Cap, and I was not going to let that happen.

"Miss, a call from Agent Coulson," JT suddenly chimed. I happily tossed aside the book I was reading and told him to put the image on the TV screen.

A second later, Phil's face popped up. "So, we've got good news and bad news," he said, right off the bat. I sighed as he continued. "Director Fury is putting together an extraction team in regards to removing Agent Carter, but there's a lot of planning involved about how they need to proceed, so they won't be ready for a few more days."

Great, more time locked inside.

"I wouldn't have food delivered to you, Adena," Phil told me, "but it might be risky having Captain Rogers head out to pick stuff up and bring it back."

Cap crossed his arms. "I'm not leaving her alone," he firmly said. "It's too dangerous."

"But it's necessary," I stressed. "We didn't have enough food to last a whole week when this whole mess started, and we've got even less now. We haven't exactly done a lot of grocery shopping while we were here, and Tony's cleaning service only cleans the house; they don't restock supplies or anything."

From day one, Jarvis had told us that, with this particular property, there was no maid or butler, or a chef. Apparently this house was rarely used by Tony, and when it was, it was only for a short time. Tony didn't want to keep a maid or hired help working at the place, so he had scheduled a cleaning service to come around once every few weeks to tidy the place up. They'd dropped by before Cap and I had arrived, but since we were here now and able to keep the place clean, the crew had been told to stay away until we'd left.

In other words, with no one to bring food, we'd have to either order out, or Cap would have to venture outside to get it.

"One little shopping trip won't kill you," Phil said. "Call a cab, head to the nearest store, and pick up whatever you'll need for the next few days. If she keeps Jarvis and the house's alarm activated, Adena will be fine for a little while."

Cap didn't look so sure. "I heard _you_ were able to get around Jarvis's security measures. What's to keep Agent Carter from doing the same thing?"

"Well, for one thing, I had the necessary tools and intelligence to do it," Phil replied, giving Cap a pointed look. "Presently, Agent Carter doesn't yet have the training or technological capabilities to access a secured house like Tony Stark's. Nor does she have the sort of contacts that could get her that sort of thing –not in that area, at least."

That seemed to calm my boyfriend, but not entirely. "I still don't like it," Cap muttered as I put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"We'll be fine, Phil," I told the screen. "Just make sure that all this is wrapped up soon. We're starting to get a serious case of cabin fever!"

He smiled. "I'm doing my best, Adena; I promise. We'll get this taken care of. Just stay safe, okay?"

After promising to do so, I said goodbye and let JT (or Jarvis) cut the connection, leaving me and Cap to ourselves.

* * *

After fifteen minutes of arguing, Cap finally gave in and agreed to go and get some supplies; since we were running low on even the most basic stuff, this really was a needed trip.

As he was leaving to get into the taxi, he made me promise not to leave the house, or open the door for anybody. Seriously, it was like getting a lecture from my mom and dad! In the end, though, I promised not to do anything stupid, and that I would keep my eyes and ears open for anyone or anything suspicious.

"I really do wish you knew how to use a weapon, or at least defend yourself," Cap muttered as he pulled on his coat. "It would make me feel a lot better about this."

"Well, I don't, so you'll just have to get your shopping done quickly," I retorted. "Just make sure you don't forget anything, or we'll have to do this all over again."

He sighed and leaned forward to give me a quick kiss. "Stay safe," he whispered before heading out the door.

And then I was alone.

* * *

Something was absolutely going down –Sharon was willing to bet on that.

For more than two days, she'd been hovering near Stark's house, and not once had Adena and Steve Rogers come outside. It was extremely odd, considering how much the two seemed to like going out together and exploring the places they were visiting.

On the second day, Sharon had made a quick call to Ronnie. It pained her to do it –Sharon was a seasoned agent and more than capable in many situations, but this particular one was beginning to get more complicated. And when something got too complicated for one agent, it was always a good idea to call on someone trusted for help.

"I don't like it," Sharon said, after explaining the situation. "I know they're onto my being here, but with them holed up, I've got nothing on them."

She knew that Ronnie would be able to read between the lines of what was just said: that Sharon would be unable to act until she could figure out what was going on. In order for things to move forward, she needed info, and right now, she had nothing.

"Well, I can help you out a bit there," Ronnie replied. Sharon noticed a slight hesitation in her voice as she said, "Sharon, honey, there's a string of chatter going through SHIELD that Fury's going to pull you off the assignment. Apparently he's gotten word that you've been made, and that you're disturbing them."

Anger, frustration, and fear shot through her, her mind blaming Miss Philips for this whole thing. If the girl had just reacted as she should have to Sharon's messages and left Steve Rogers to Sharon, this wouldn't be happening.

'_If Director Fury pulls me out, it will mean a black mark on my record_.'

That would cause all sorts of ramifications to her career. Rookie spies made mistakes and got caught –but as they got older and more experienced in the field, it meant upward movements in the organization. If they did things right, they could end up with any assignment they wanted, right up until retirement.

But the moment an experienced and seasoned spy got caught because of a stupid move on their part, their careers took a downward turn that was almost impossible to recover from. Sharon had seen what that sort of thing had done to perfectly good agents, and she did _not_ want to be forced out in disgrace, all on the word of some twit of a girl who didn't know when to get lost.

"What else are they saying, Ronnie?" Sharon asked, trying to keep herself together.

This time her friend actually hesitated. "There's talk of an extraction team, but I don't know who or what it's for. It could be anything."

Sharon knew it had to be for her. After the whole thing in New York with Loki, the world had managed to force itself into a sort of temporary peace while the U.S. tried to repair the damaged city. An extraction team hadn't been necessary for weeks, and for one to be put together now, of all times, meant that it had to be targeted at her.

"Thanks for the info, Ronnie," Sharon managed to say out loud. "But right now, I need a little something else."

* * *

Even though he was only going to be gone for a little while, I immediately began missing Cap. We'd been stuck together for so long it was like I was missing a part of myself when he wasn't here.

So, like any woman who was feeling worried and lonely, I decided to keep myself busy. I managed to get myself to do laundry for the two guest rooms Cap and I were occupying, and make the beds without tripping over the piles of sheets and pillows too much. When that was done, I went do the kitchen and began clearing off space for the grocery bags that Cap was sure to bring back. Then I rearranged the fridge and kitchen shelves, and by the time I was done, I'd managed to keep myself busy for over an hour.

After trying and failing to read a book, I decided that maybe what I needed was a nap. All the tidying had worn me out a bit, so maybe it would give me a little boost, and help pass the time until Cap got back.

Actually, I was a little surprised that he hadn't rushed through the store and gotten back by now, but given that the nearest grocery store was over a mile away, over hills and through busy streets, it probably shouldn't surprise me. And since Cap could be a very thorough shopper, he might take a bit longer than usual, just to be sure he got everything we needed.

Heading towards my room, I heard a few odd creaks and squeaks coming from the house, but decided to ignore them, since all houses made odd noises, especially when they settled.

In my room, I stretched and called out, "Jarvis, can you put on some nature sounds, like the ocean or rain on a rooftop?" Maybe some soothing noise would help with my nap.

I should have known something was wrong when Jarvis didn't immediately respond to my request. But before I could actually realize that something was wrong, a blinding electric shock shot through me, right before I lost consciousness.

* * *

"He may be a billionaire genius, but Tony Stark is an arrogant bastard," Sharon muttered to the woman sprawled form at her feet. "Talk about a crappy security system."

It had been surprisingly easy to get all the tools she needed when it came to breaking in –a few quick calls and a visit to a black market seller in town, and Sharon had everything she needed at her disposal. The tech toys she'd used to bypass Stark's system had cost a _lot_ to obtain, but it'd be worth it, in the end.

"Though maybe the taser was a bit much," she said, nudging the unconscious girl with her foot. "Oh, well; you'll live."

Unfortunately, she wasn't strong enough to lift the burden in front of her, not on her own. Luckily, she'd brought backup.

Even as she thought that, two large men dressed as movers came in and hefted up Adena Philips, her body still twitching slightly from the shock. "Take her out to my car through the back," Sharon ordered. "And try not to stand out and look suspicious."

As soon as the sound of their heavy footsteps receded down the hallway, Sharon smiled. Things certainly were starting to look up, and she couldn't wait to get to work.

* * *

Steve knew something wasn't right the minute he got back from the store. The house was too quiet –Adena loved music, and back at their New York apartment, whenever he went to knock on her door, he could hear it playing through her computer or "stereo." Since he'd been gone for two hours, music or some other kind of sound should definitely be playing.

But what really got him was the fact that Jarvis hadn't greeted him or acknowledged his presence the second he stepped through the door, like usual.

Rather than panic, Steve kept his cool and set his two bags of groceries on the kitchen table before going to help the driver bring in the rest of the stuff he'd bought. Once he'd paid the man for the ride and his help, Steve shut the front door and went to a small panel of black glass that was embedded in the wall. It was one of many scattered throughout the house, and the second it sensed movement nearby, it should have activated, with Jarvis greeting him and asking how he could be of service.

Right now, the panel, as well as Jarvis, was quiet.

Thoroughly worried, Steve put his senses on high alert and began to slowly and carefully explore the first level of the house. He found the sliding back door open, but no sign that Adena was in the backyard. His heart beating frantically, Steve went to look at the outside of the house.

There was nothing in the yard, but he did find several footprints in the dirt near the small side gate that led to the front of the house. There were two sets of large prints, and one smaller pair, signaling either two large men and a smaller one, or two men and a woman.

Besides the footprints, there was nothing else in the area, so Steve decided to head back inside and look around upstairs. On silent feet, he made his way to the stairs, but was stopped when the panel flickered to life.

"Forgive me, Captain Rogers," Jarvis apologized. "I'm afraid the parameters of the house have been breached, and my system temporarily shut down by an aggressive outside source."

"What happened?" Steve quietly demanded. "Is there anyone else here? And where is Adena?"

"There is no one else within the house, sir," Jarvis replied. "I am afraid Miss Philips is gone."

At that point, Steve's heart went cold and sank straight to the floor. '_Oh, no_; _not again_.' After losing her twice, Steve was not ready to lose the woman he loved for a third time. And if anything happened to her…

"Jarvis, I want you to get Tony on the phone," Steve commanded the computer. "And while you do that, tell me what happened."

* * *

"How the hell did this happen?" Tony demanded from the television screen. "I'd specifically updated Jarvis so that this couldn't happen again, not after Phil and his bad habits!"

"I guess the other guys had something better," Steve snapped, "Because Adena is gone, and I don't know where she is!"

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and tried to calm down. "Tony, can you track her? I can't find JT anywhere, so Adena must still have him with her."

"I'm trying, but it's possible that Agent Carter – who I'll bet is the one who has her – has a jamming device." Tony returned the glare that Steve was giving him with an annoyed look. "I'm mentioning this because I can't get an exact lock on her. Worst case: she's jamming whatever signals she can as a precautionary measure. Or, it could be that JT is keeping a low profile until Adena needs him to call for help."

"We need to call Phil," Pepper said, joining Tony at his computer screen. "He has to know what's going on, and so does Director Fury." She gave Tony a pointed look.

Steve watched in amusement as Tony sighed and reached over towards another computer. "Okay, Rogers; hold on while I get him on."

A minute later, Phil's face was on half the screen while Tony's was on the other. "What is it?" Phil demanded. "I'm trying to get the extraction team together, Stark." Then he blinked. "Captain Rogers? What's going on?"

"Adena's been taken…again," Steve replied, crossing his arms. "Turns out she _can_ get into trouble, even in a couple hours."

Phil seemed to think about that for a second. "Hold on; I'll call you back in a few minutes." Then the connection was gone, leaving Tony, Steve and Pepper to themselves.

"Okay, I'm betting that Phil's getting Fury on the phone, and he's going to want us ready to rock and roll within the hour," Tony commented, looking over at his girlfriend. "Can you hold down the place until I get back? I promise to bring you back something nice."

"Just bring Adena back," Pepper told him.

Steve watched with a bit of sadness and jealousy as Tony received a kiss from his girl. He'd give anything to have Adena here, doing the same.

For a short while, the three of them sat and made awkward conversation while waiting for Phil to call them back. When he did, he had a serious, and angry, look on his face. "Director Fury's calling in some of the best people he's got closest to you."

Trying to suppress his impatience, Steve clenched his fists. "When do we head out?"

Phil did his best to give him an understanding look, but failed due to the fact that his own anger was starting to show through. "We'll be by to pick you in two hours. Be ready."

Steve already was. And just because Sharon Carter was Peggy's niece didn't mean he'd be merciful when it came to dealing with her.

* * *

AN: Review?


	14. The Hands of Madness

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing related to Marvel, either the comics, movies, TV shows, etc. All of that belongs to the Disney Corporation (though I might try kidnapping Captain America and Hawkeye some day, just for fun).

AN: Things are going to be a bit rough for Adena in this chapter, so be warned. Thanks for reading, and please don't forget to review.

**Chapter 14: The Hands of Madness:**

My first few thoughts when waking up were as follows: '_damn, am I in pain_;' '_what the hell happened_;' and finally, '_damn it, I've been kidnapped __**again**_!'

Of course, none of these were good things, and for the most part, I was scared out of my wits. But part of me was also angry, annoyed, and frustrated that this had happened for a _third_ (and hopefully _last_) time. I was sick and tired of being the damsel-in-distress, and when Cap managed to rescue me – as I knew he would – I was going to ask Natasha and Barton to give me some self-defense lessons the minute I got back to New York.

Right now, though, I was tied to a chair, with tough ropes around my wrists, arms, legs, and upper body. Lucky for me, the ropes were soft nylon, but they'd been wrapped tightly around my appendages, almost to the point of cutting off blood flow. The chair I was sitting on was metal with metal armrests and no cushioning. My head was flopped forwards, resulting in a serious ache and cramp going up the right side of my body. I was hurting and uncomfortable everywhere, and seriously wondering what the hell was going on now.

A shot of white-hot pain going up my back and neck caused me to wince. Obviously, I couldn't stay in this position forever, and I really did want to look at my surroundings. So, slowly and carefully, I raised my aching head, my eyes trying to blink away tears as I tried to gain my bearings.

Somehow, I wasn't surprised to find that I was in a dilapidated warehouse, _again_. Seriously, what was it with evil-doers and abandoned warehouses? Didn't they know how dangerous these places were, since the roof could fall in at any second?

That was when I realized my mind was wandering, and that I might be suffering from some kind of concussion or head trauma. I didn't think I'd been hit by something, but I'd clearly been knocked out somehow, and the aftermath was _painful_.

Blinking, I had no choice but to let the resulting tears run down my face, where they dried and grew disgustingly crusty. But with my eyes clear, I was able to look at my surroundings.

Not that there was much to look at. The place was run-down, and void of any sort of furniture except the chair I was in; a small table nearby with a metal tray covered with objects I couldn't make out; and another chair across from me, which was vacant.

'_Am I alone_?' I wondered, eyes darting around. I very much doubted that anyone who had been watching me and Cap so closely would ever leave me alone somewhere.

"Awake I see," said a cool, calm voice behind me. "I guess the shock I gave your system wasn't strong enough."

Shock to the system? Oh, I definitely think the trauma was more than enough. Unless a different kind of shock was being implied…

I vaguely remembered feeling as though a bolt of lightning had hit me, back in my room at Tony's house. Had a taser been used on me? Just the thought of that pissed me off.

"You're lucky you didn't kill me," I managed to whisper. My words came out rough, thanks to my dry throat, but it was still loud enough to be heard.

The voice chuckled, and footsteps carried my captor directly into my line of vision. I wasn't surprised to find it was Agent Sharon Carter, though she looked very different from the other times I'd seen her. Before, when she'd been following me and Cap around and we'd managed to spot her, she'd been in civilian clothes, like dresses, shorts, skirts, and fashionable tops. She'd looked like any other gorgeous blonde in the crowd.

Now, she looked like a SHIELD Agent. She wore an outfit similar to the one Natasha had worn during Loki's attack on New York: black, skin-tight, and provocative. But rather than Natasha's curves, Agent Carter was tall and thin, like a steel sword –and easily just as deadly. Her eyes were hard and shining, like blue ice from the Arctic, and that did _not_ mean anything good for me.

"So, Miss Philips," she said, taking the chair across from me. "One has to wonder how a girl like you managed to get a hold on a man like Captain Steve Rogers."

A girl like me? What the hell did that mean? Licking my lips, I winced as they cracked and bled. I was thirsty, too, but I doubted that Agent Carter would give me some water. '_Even if she did, I wouldn't drink it_.'

"It's an annoying puzzle for me. But even though I usually enjoy puzzles, you're one that I don't like looking at," she said, stretching out long, strong legs as those eyes lingered on my aching form.

Something told me that she was just trying to get a reaction out of me, either for fun or to study and figure out the sort of person I was. Well, I wasn't going to play her game, so she'd have to settle for throwing words at me while I focused on dealing with how crappy I felt.

Heaving a sigh, I closed my eyes and took a mental inventory of what was happening with my body. Besides the cramp going up my right side, from my arm up to my neck and head, I tried to deduce if anything was broken or sprained. Nothing was in serious pain, and since I could wiggle my toes and fingers, I figured that I didn't have a broken ankle, leg, or arm, which was a good sign. My head ached, I felt drained and tired, not to mention thirsty, but other than that, I was sound and whole.

Fingers reached under my chin and gripped it, forcing me to look up. The ice in her eyes had intensified, but the tears still lingering in my eyes caused them to look shifty and a little blurry. That was okay, though –it kept me from feeling the full brunt of her glare.

"You're not paying attention to me," she angrily stated.

Blinking the last of the tears away, I leveled a glare at her that, to put it lightly, clearly said _bite me_.

A sneer spread across her mouth, and for a second, I thought she'd punch me. Something, however, held her back, and instead, her hand flexed, cracking knuckles rather than my face. "Nevermind. We'll carry on later, when you're a bit more…recovered."

I watched very closely as she reached back, retrieving something from the floor behind her chair. I hadn't noticed anything there before, but then, thanks to my blurry vision and forming migraine, my eyesight wasn't the best right now.

"Here," she said, offering me a small canteen. "Have a drink."

Uh-uh, no way. No matter what was in the canteen, I wasn't going to swallow a drop of it!

"You can either do it willingly, or I can make you," she said, twisting off the top and pressing the cool metal opening to my lips. "What's it going to be?"

Now, I'd seen spy movies, where they made prisoners drink stuff, so I knew that she could hold my nose shut until I gasped for air through my mouth. That was when she'd pour the water in, and I'd have to swallow or spit it out –and I very much doubted that she'd let me do the latter.

So, opening my mouth, I made sure to take tiny sips of the liquid inside. It tasted like water, and nothing else –no metallic aftertaste, or chemicals, that I could tell. My thirsty body welcomed the hydration, and soon, the canteen was empty. As she put it away, I silently hoped that she'd let me use the bathroom later –all that water had to go somewhere, after all.

"Why don't you take a little nap, and we'll talk later," she said, turning to leave.

Then I was alone, my brain struggling to work this whole situation out through the fog that my kidnapping had brought on. I was mentally and physically drained, and a nap did sound good, even in the painful position I was in.

Even though I wanted to stay awake so that I could try and work out an escape plan, my beat-up body wanted rest, and my brain agreed. And so, reluctantly, I closed my eyes and let myself doze off.

* * *

I came to when I felt the presence of two people in the room, looking at me. And once I was awake, the kink in my neck and back caused me to wince.

Slowly, I straightened my head up, to ease the pain. It didn't help entirely, but after a few seconds of rolling my head around and "popping" some of the muscles and vertebrae back into place, the kink faded to an ache and a few muscle twitches. Not perfect, but a bit more comfortable than before.

"Good evening, Miss Philips," Agent Carter greeted me.

Daring to open my eyes fully, I found that my tears were gone, and I could see clearly again. Not entirely a good thing, since there was a chilled look on her face as she looked down at me. That was when I noticed the taser on her right hip, and a gun on her left.

'_Nothing good is going to come from this conversation_,' I couldn't help thinking, worry and more than a little fear creeping into me.

Tearing my eyes away from her, I glanced around the room, wondering where the other person was. "Where's your friend?" I asked, my voice still hoarse, but clear enough to be understood.

She sniffed. "They're all gone. It's just you and me and the birds on the roof."

No, there was definitely someone else in the room. "I may not be a spy, but I'm not stupid," I calmly replied. "I know there's another person here. There's no way you could have taken me from Tony Stark's place on your own. So where's your partner?"

"I said they're gone!" she snapped, staking a threatening step closer. "Once you were tied up, I paid those Neanderthals and they left. Got it?"

Was she telling the truth? No, she couldn't be –I know I felt another pair of eyes focused on me. Maybe they were watching through a camera or something? But I could swear the person was here, in the room with us…

Something tickled and pulled at the back of my mind, causing my head to ache again. I closed my eyes to try and get myself together, but when I opened them again, I saw that Agent Carter looked rather strange. Chalking it up to the after effects of the taser, I chose to ignore it, and to keep my mouth shut about her accomplice.

"I know what you're trying to do," she whispered, leaning in to look me in the eye. "You're trying to confuse and distract me. I wouldn't say it's a clever move; more like a tactic our rookie agents try to use out in the field. It hardly works then, and it certainly won't work now."

Trust me, if I were trying to distract or confuse her, I'd be using completely different means to do it. But since she put the idea in my head…

"You do realize you won't get away with this, right?" I said, deciding to go cliché when it came to being kidnapped by a crazy person/agent. "I mean, some of the most powerful people in the world are going to be looking for me, and if you kill me, you'll be blasted into dust for doing it."

"Oh, I don't plan to kill you," she replied, smiling. "That'd be too easy. And like you said, your friends would hunt me to the ends of the earth and turn me into mulch if I did."

She leaned close, leveling her eyes with mine. "No, dying isn't in your immediate future, Miss Philips. However, I do have something else in mind for you."

'_Please don't say torture, please don't say torture_,' I silently prayed as she stepped back.

Taking a deep breath, I swallowed hard. "Why are you doing this?" I asked, watching her movements closely. "What have I done to deserve this?" I hadn't meant to say that last part out loud, but it was something I couldn't help asking, either to myself or aloud.

There was a long moment of silence, and when she answered, it wasn't what I expected. "You're here because, whether you know it or not, you don't deserve what you've got."

I couldn't help it; I stared at her, confused by what she'd said. What did she mean by that?

"I don't know what the world's superheroes see in you," she sneered. "You're just a weak, helpless, silly girl who got lucky enough to be pulled into the mess that happened in New York!"

"Oh, I wouldn't call myself lucky," I muttered. "Trust me, being abducted by aliens isn't fun."

Fingers grabbed at my hair, pulling it until tears filled my eyes again and a cry of pain burst from my mouth. "But you still got rescued, didn't you? They saved you, brought you into their group and began treating you like you belonged with them."

The grasp on my hair tightened. "I know Stark invited you and Captain Rogers to parties, dinners, and fun nights out. You spent months squirming your way into the Captain's affections, and now he's all over you."

Just when I thought she was going to rip half of my scalp off, she let go. But my head still hurt like hell, and I wouldn't be surprised if there was a little bit of bleeding going on.

"Things are going to change, though," Agent Carter declared. "You really aren't his type of girl, you know. He's a brave soldier who's willing to give his life for his country, and even his planet. He needs is a woman who'll stand next to him, toting a gun in one hand and a knife in the other, ready to face down evil and, if she can, help get him out alive."

She smirked. "Trust me, dear; that isn't you."

I smiled back, which seemed to surprise her. "Well, no argument from me on that one. I don't know how to fight, nor do I have the makings of a spy." Still, I had to smirk as I said, "But he still loves me."

That's when she hit me, splitting my lower lip. Flicking out my tongue, I licked some of the blood away and couldn't help but feel better, even if I'd been on the receiving end of the smack. I may have pushed it by saying Cap loved me, but I knew that he more than just "liked" me.

"Don't say that again," she whispered, turning to leave. "I'm going out for some air."

Left alone, I shifted back and forth a little on the chair, trying to get a tiny bit more comfortable. That's when something moved in my back pocket.

For a second, I thought Agent Carter had slipped some kind of torture device on me, but once my brain kicked back into gear, I remembered what was there. JT!

"JT, can you hear me?" I whispered under my breath. "I think we're alone, but I'm not sure, so don't vocalize a reply."

Instead, I got a _buzz_, like when a phone is set on vibrate. "Good. Now, I know Tony's going to try and locate me, so if you can get a bit of a signal out of here, send a message to let him know where I am. Can you do that?"

Another _buzz_, and I was sure that JT was going to be hard at work, trying to get me out of this mess. Meanwhile, I began to flex my fingers and try to figure out why the hell this was happening again. It was obvious that Agent Carter was jealous of my relationship with Cap, but she couldn't really want him for herself, could she? She didn't even know him!

'_Well, if I don't get out of this soon, I'm totally screwed_.' After what had happened just moments ago, I seriously doubted that Agent Carter was going to let me out of this completely unharmed. '_And I have a feeling that, if I do get out of this alive and well, she won't let me go back to Cap. She'll probably disfigure me first, then hope that Cap is so disgusted with my appearance that he'll ditch me, leaving him open to her_.'

Man, why did life have to be so complicated for me? I guess I could count myself lucky that I had a boyfriend that other women wanted and envied me for, but getting abducted because of it was something I could live without.

The sound of approaching footsteps drew my attention. My captor was back. Sighing, I closed my eyes and leaned back in my chair, my wrists and ankles aching from being strapped down for so long. Even though I couldn't see who was coming, I knew one was Agent Carter –there was the feeling of another person with her, but I didn't want to open my eyes and see who it was, since it might just freak me out even worse than I already was.

A foot kicked the leg of my chair, making my eyes snap open in surprise. Looking up into blue ice, I sensed the presence of another person nearby. Pulling my eyes away from hers, I glanced around, searching for the other person. However, Agent Carter was the only one in the room with me. But I could have sworn…

"Where's your partner?" I blurted out. "I know they're here; I can feel them watching!"

She opened her mouth, probably to deny it again, but I didn't let her. "I know you're here!" I yelled, pulling against my restraints. "You aren't fooling me!"

A hand met my face, causing my lip to break open again, and more blood to flow. "Shut up! There's no one but you and me, so stop yelling."

There was someone else; I knew it. But Agent Carter was adamant that there was only her, so either she was telling the truth, or there was something seriously wonky going on here. And if there _was_ something else behind all this, I really needed to get this woman on my side if I wanted to get out of here alive.

"There is!" I insisted. "I can feel it. You should know the feeling; you're a spy, after all. It's the one where a person can't shake a feeling if someone's watching them?"

I licked the blood from my mouth, the thick liquid moistening my throat enough for me to keep talking. "Haven't you wondered how I figured out you were tracking me and Captain Rogers? I've known someone's been watching me for weeks, that's how."

She made to slap me again, but I kept talking. "Phil Coulson said you're a model agent." She paused, obviously flattered by the praise. "So how could one of Director Fury's best agents get herself found out, almost from the very beginning of her assignment? If professional spies couldn't make you out in a crowd, so how did I, a plain, unskilled girl, do it?"

My captor's eyes narrowed, but she didn't say anything. I took that as a sign to continue. "Something else is going on, Agent Carter. You _have_ to know that! Just think about how things have been since you took this assignment on. Think about all of the rash things you've been doing. How could an agent of your skill level do something that only the most clumsy mafia goons would do?"

As I said that, I grit my teeth, waiting for another slap, but received none. Instead, I watched thoughts and emotions race across her face. While that happened, I silently prayed that I hadn't pushed the wrong buttons.

* * *

"Hey! I'm getting a signal from JT!" Tony yelled, his voice echoing around the room where he, Rogers, Phil, and a dozen SHIELD agents were holed up.

Everyone within hearing distance came running, Steve Rogers being the first one there. "Where?" he demanded, almost drilling a hole in the computer screen as he focused his gaze on it.

"Industrial district on the outskirts of San Francisco," Tony replied. "Jarvis, anything we should know about that area?"

"Nothing that I can find, sir," the artificial intelligence replied from his portable computer. "The warehouse she is in is surrounded by empty buildings, all owned by the same company."

"That's because that's how we wanted it," Phil said with a groan.

Steve looked over at him. "What do you mean, that's how you wanted it? What is that place?"

Phil looked like he was going to be sick. "That area is owned by a shell company, created by SHIELD. Agent Carter is using one of our facilities to hold Adena captive."

Tony watched as Rogers went pale. "Does that mean people have been interrogated in there?" Steve asked, his mind clearly imagining the worst.

At that question, Tony felt himself grow nauseous. "Please tell me that you haven't left any unpleasant toys lying around for your rogue agent to use on my friend."

Several agents had to restrain Steve as he tried to charge out the door in an effort to get to his girlfriend. Rushing to stop him, Phil struggled to get his attention. "No, the place is cleared out," he said loudly. He put a hand on Steve's shoulder. "Trust me; there's nothing there for her to use on Adena…unless she brought her own."

For several minutes, Steve continued to struggle against the people holding him back, but eventually, when he saw that fighting his way out wasn't an option, he managed to calm himself down. Taking a deep breath, he seemed to pull himself together as everyone watched him carefully. A few agents seemed to reach for their tasers, just in case.

"Phil, get everyone together," Steve ordered. "I'm not leaving my girlfriend out there any longer than I have to."

No one was dumb enough to argue with him on that.

* * *

AN: Thanks to everyone for reading, and please don't forget to review!


	15. A Long-Distance Revenge

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing related to Marvel, either the comics, movies, TV shows, etc. All of that belongs to the Disney Corporation (though I might try kidnapping Captain America and Hawkeye some day, just for fun).

AN: Here's the next chapter. Please enjoy, and don't forget to review.

**Chapter 15: A Long-Distance Revenge:**

When a hand didn't come down and knock the hell out of me, I figured that a small part of what I'd said had gotten through to Agent Carter's mind. For a minute or two, I watched as she seemed torn between ripping my head off and actually wanting to hear what I had to say.

But rather than try and talk her out of what she was doing to me, I decided to keep my mouth shut and just observe her instead. Talking might help my cause, but if I did that, she might once again think I was stalling, or putting ideas into her brain.

* * *

What she needed was to figure this thing out on her own, without influence. All I could do was sit quietly and watch the whole thing implode inside her head.

'_Don't believe her; she's only trying to distract you_.'

Of course she was! There was no other way for her to escape, so she was trying very clumsily to be distracting and save her own skin.

But if that were the truth, then why was there a miniscule particle of doubt forming in Sharon's mind?

'_Because that's what she wants, you idiot_!' snarled the spy in her. '_Don't fall for her tricks_! _You're smarter than that_.'

Yes, Sharon knew that she was too smart to fall for such a weak and obvious tactic; she was a spy, after all. But Aunt Peggy had always taught her to follow her instincts when it came to any situation, and right now, her gut and spy instincts were telling her that something wasn't right just now. Funny thing, though…her instincts hadn't been so argumentative before…

_But then, I'd been so wrapped up in getting Captain Rogers to notice me and finally getting this girl out of the way that I really hadn't been listening to them_.

Wait, why did she want Steve Rogers to notice her again?

Because he was the perfect match to her, of course! Why else would she risk her life and career like this? He was everything that she wanted in a man, so why should she let some witless girl like Adena Philips get her hands on him?

But was Steve Rogers _really_ the man she wanted, and did he really have the qualities Sharon wanted in a partner for life?

Of course he did! Didn't he?

She blinked, vaguely remembering a moment during her childhood.

* * *

It was a moment she'd almost forgotten. Seated at a dining table in a small house just outside the bustle of London, a young Sharon Carter shared in a rare quiet moment with her beloved great-aunt, who was showing her how to disassemble and reassemble a gun.

"Aunt Peggy?" Sharon asked as the gun was pulled apart, piece by piece. "Do you think, if things had been different, that you'd have married Captain Rogers?"

Her aunt had paused, the weapon motionless in her hands. "Why would you ask that question, Sherry?" Only her aunt could call her that and still be in one piece.

Sharon had shrugged. "I don't know. It just popped into my head, that's all." Stuff like that happened sometimes.

For a while, there was silence as Aunt Peggy put the gun back together and set it aside. "I think, if given the chance, I might have. He was the sweetest, kindest man I've ever known, and the first to look past the fact that I was a woman and an agent –he saw that I was both of those things, and still felt the way he did."

Looking at the sadness on her aunt's face, Sharon put a hand on her arm. "What was he like? Steve Rogers, I mean, not Captain America."

Aunt Peggy had laughed and taken her hand in hers, squeezing it affectionately as she tucked a lock of white hair behind her ear. Sharon knew it had been brown once, but now it was a brilliant shade of silver that, in her mind, was just as pretty.

"I'm afraid there's no real difference between the two," she said. "Everything that Steve Rogers was transferred over into Captain America: his honor, bravery, kindness, determination, and his dedication to do what is right made him the hero we needed back then." A sad smile pulled at her mouth, the wrinkles around it deepening slightly. "The good-heartedness he always had easily covered the roles he played."

She looked at Sharon and let her smile fade. "In other words, Sherry, the only change came when Steve put on his Captain America uniform. That was when he became the hero and the symbol that gave us hope and strength."

And that was when Sharon's admiration for Captain America and Steve Rogers had been formed.

* * *

Slamming back to the present, Sharon couldn't help wondering where that admiration had gone wrong. Hadn't she idolized the Captain as much as she had her Aunt, who had taught her everything she knew and so much more?

Aunt Peggy had done everything good for her country. She had helped get it through the war against Hitler, and brought it out from under the ruin and rubble that had been created when England had been attacked by enemy aircraft. She'd helped her government pull the nation back together, making it into a stronger nation than it had been before.

Strength; determination; honor; duty; valuing life; protecting the innocent and the good they represent, and knowing when to confront and eliminate whatever would destroy them. When had that all changed for her?

_If I do this, I'll become everything that I've been fighting against all my life. Aunt Peggy would be so disappointed in me_…

She'd only seen her aunt disappointed a handful of times –of the times those incidences had involved Sharon directly, it had been heartbreaking for the young woman to watch the expression on her mentor's face. In many ways, Aunt Peggy's opinion was far more valuable than her parents'; to lose that was to lose a part of her heart and soul.

_When had that changed_?

Searching her heart and her memories, Sharon zeroed in on that one moment, quickly realizing that this had all started that one day on the hovercraft, when she'd first seen Steve Rogers, and the prisoner Loki had been brought onboard…

* * *

Cursing, Loki focused his mind even further. With everything that he had poured into this one last venture, he could not afford to lose his hold now!

It had taken him weeks to put this all together, of searching through everything he had learned on Earth from his enslaved humans; looking through every last detail his memories could produce; then slowly piecing them together so that he could conjure a plan that might have the smallest chance of succeeding.

Once he had a plan, even if it was a weak one, he had begun searching for a means to carry it out –well, at least as much as he could. Because even though he could not be physically there to torment those who had helped cast him down and imprison him, causing them pain and suffering in another way would do just as well.

It had been difficult to find a way around the measures taken by the All-Father to confine his abilities, but not impossible. Although Odin might have known Loki quite well, he didn't by any measure know him _fully_.

And it was in his arrogance that Odin left a way open for him –for even though Loki was now kept under the tightest guard and housed in a suite of rooms that kept him from using many of his powers, there was nothing to restrain his _mental_ abilities. The people of Asgard respected physical strength and great shows of magic –they never really had any cares for the powers of the mind. How fortunate for him.

Slipping past the protections was simple, if one knew what they were doing. The protections were to guard against overt, aggressive attacks; they weren't meant to keep in someone using sly mental magic trying to get out. It was, as humans put it, a case of 'mind over matter.'

Still, even then, it had taken precious time, and a fair amount of energy to slip through the little 'cracks,' but when he had found the right path to follow back to Earth, Loki couldn't help but be satisfied. Because it was on Earth that he found the ideal vessel through which to act out his anger.

Searching through his memories, Loki had sorted through every tiny bit of information. Really, Agent Barton had been so helpful –he had been a fount of valuable information, and it was through that information that Loki had found what he sought. That was because the perfect key to his plan was in the midst of Agent Barton's provided list of spies and assassins.

Agent Sharon Carter, a relation of Captain America's former sweetheart, had grown up with knowledge and admiration for that man from a different age. It had been child's play to toy with those emotions, slowly and carefully crafting them into something completely different from what they had originally been.

'_Mortals are so easily manipulated_,' he thought with scorn as he tried to keep his hold firm on his puppet's thoughts. '_They almost never realize that they are under another's control_.' And when they did, it was too late.

With a few small suggestions here, and fanciful imaginings there, it had been simple to get her to think and feel what he wanted her to. Even better, she never suspected that there was another force behind what she was thinking and feeling! After that, it had been amusing, sitting and watching Agent Carter slowly destroy everything she had once cherished, all while trying to destroy the joy of those Loki hated most –especially his favorite little mortal woman: Adena Philips.

He had seen the warm feelings between Adena and the Captain, and the thought of driving them apart through his skilled pawn was just too wonderful to resist. He wanted to see the two of them slowly and painfully pulled apart by doubt and betrayal, feeling confused, angry, hurt, and filled with such anguish that he could taste it all the way in Asgard. If revenge was a dish best served cold, then Loki intended to drink and savor every drop of it!

But even though things had begun quite well, with his pawn getting close to them and beginning to cause uneasiness to Adena in her time of happiness, there was one little problem, one that he had not considered. That had been Adena's uncanny ability to find where Sharon Carter was every time she was near.

At first, Loki had thought it mere luck on her part, and that it would fade in time. But he quickly began to see that she could truly sense her follower no matter what. If he hadn't been so sure that Agent Carter was one of the best in her field, one who was knowledgeable of stealth and being invisible when needed, he'd have thought her completely and utterly incompetent.

But now that Adena was before him again, looking up at the woman whose eyes he was presently looking through, Loki was sure that things were far more complicated than that. She _knew_ something else was responsible for this whole plot against her, and that it wasn't Agent Carter's fault. She might not know it was Loki himself, but she absolutely knew that it was someone else pulling the strings of her captor.

That was when Loki saw it –and cursed.

A thin, almost invisible connection was between his mind and hers. She could sense him because he, in his arrogance and fascination with her, had opened a miniscule link between them when he had attempted to waken the latent abilities she had hidden within her. Even though he had failed to access and bring forth those abilities, as the one who had first encountered them, he had created the merest thread of a telepathic link between them.

Dread sank in quickly, as he realized that, no matter what he tried to do to her in the future, she would always sense him. She might not know it, but once she did, both Adena and her group of protectors would use and exploit that ability to their fullest advantage –and when they did, he would never be able to beat them.

A sense of defeat began to overcome him, but he just as quickly quenched it. He would not let this plan fail so quickly! He had worked hard to achieve it, using everything he had to put it into play. If he failed, he would be years in gathering his magic and telepathic powers together in order to try again. He could not fail now!

He tried to force a mental twist on Sharon's mind, but found her resisting. She now knew that something was wrong, and his grasp was beginning to slip, badly. It was only a matter of time before he lost his hold completely, and there would be no way of getting it back, for he was now too drained to try it again. The distance between Asgard and Earth was too great -without a straight and true path to channel his powers through, he could drain himself dry and perish.

'_And I am most certainly not ready to die yet_!'

Much as he hated to admit it, perhaps it was time to give up his endeavor on making dear Adena's life a misery. Even if he longed for revenge, there were still others that had precedence over her –Thor, for one, was at the top of his list, and he was right there in Asgard.

But before he fully gave up on this bit of fun, Loki _so_ wanted to see how his lovely Agent would be punished for her crimes. So instead of giving up so easily, he decided to sit and watch what entertainments the mortals could provide him.

* * *

It was agonizing, knowing that something was happening inside Agent Carter's head and that I was unable to do anything about it. So many different emotions crossed her face that it was dizzying; there was anger, confusion, sadness, panic, and several others that went by too fast for me to name.

For a minute or two, I thought she was going to have a mental breakdown right in front of me, and that I would have to sit here, helplessly, while she psychologically crashed and burned.

"What is going on?" she gasped reaching up to grasp her head with both hands. "What's happening to me?"

I had no answer for her, so I stayed quiet and hoped that she wouldn't notice I was there. I very much wanted to come out of this alive, and attracting the attention of a SHIELD agent who was going through hell was not the way to do it.

Watching her fall to her knees, I sat helplessly and quietly as Agent Carter grasped her head in her hands and struggled for breath.

* * *

What the hell was going on? Nothing seemed right, though it had all seemed fine a few minutes ago.

But it wasn't fine. Something was messing with her head, and it had to be that bastard, Loki.

She'd never seen the Asgardian up close, only from a distance, but from all the chatter that went around SHIELD after his attempted invasion of Earth, Sharon knew that he'd had a rather long reach. That reach had been long enough to dip right into the midst of SHIELD, fracture a team of superheroes, and toy with the personalities and minds of many agents Sharon had grown to know and respect, including Agent Barton.

'_Barton was the one who spilled the goods on me_,' snarled part of her brain. '_He is going to be in __**so**__ much trouble for that_!'

But she knew it wasn't his fault, not if he'd been under the same twisted mental invasion Sharon was now wrapped up in. She'd heard about his condition, of course, but it was one thing to hear about it, and quite another to be the one actually being influenced by someone else. She'd believed Barton to be weak, letting an alien get that close to him and getting inside his head, but now that she was in his shoes…

On her knees, Sharon took deep gasping breaths as she tried to clear her head and sort through her emotions. Part of her still wanted to beat the hell out of the woman she'd kidnapped, but the rest of her screamed that it would be wrong to do it, if only because Adena Philips hadn't done anything wrong. She was just the target of another being, one who didn't know when to stay beaten.

'_And what about Steve Rogers_?' asked another part of her. '_What about him_?'

The answer to that was simple: do nothing. Just leave him to Adena. It wasn't as if she really knew him, after all. Oh, she was sure he was a good man, just as her Aunt had said, and a great fighter and soldier, but that's all she knew about him, really.

And that pretty much said it all, didn't it? She knew _about_ him; she didn't know the man himself, not like Adena (or even Aunt Peggy) did. He was a great guy, she was sure, but whether he was the guy for her was the real question, and one she did not know the answer to.

As darkness began to engulf her mind, Sharon realized that this was perhaps going to be one of the few instances where she'd have to do something she'd rarely had to in her career. If she wanted to come out of this as herself, she'd have to surrender and let go.

Closing her eyes, she gave up her hold on consciousness, and passed out.

* * *

Watching my captor fall to the floor, I groaned in anger and frustration. Now there was no way for me to get out of this!

'_Well, there might be, but I have a feeling it'll be a while before help arrives_.' Even if Tony was a genius and Cap had somehow managed to find out where I was, I seriously doubted that they'd get here anytime soon.

"JT," I said out loud, "Would you please let Tony know that Agent Carter is out cold, and that it's okay for them to rescue me now? Seriously?"

"Yes, Miss," JT calmly replied. "I've sent your message, but one has to consider whether or not they're going to believe that it is truly you sending it, or if you're doing so under coercion."

"Then tell Tony he'd better get his metal-clad ass in here ASAP, or else I'll have Pepper beat him over the head with it!" I snapped, impatient to get out of my bindings.

I paused. "And tell him to tell Cap that I'm okay, so that he doesn't panic."

"Yes, Miss."

After what felt like a billion agonizing years, one of the far walls blew in. I sighed and rolled my eyes. Tony always did know how to make an entrance!

* * *

AN: Review?


	16. Safety

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing related to Marvel, either the comics, movies, TV shows, etc. All of that belongs to the Disney Corporation (though I might try kidnapping Captain America and Hawkeye some day, just for fun).

AN: Hello, all! I'm sorry for posting late, but my home internet connection was so slow, I was worried about losing the chapter while posting, so I decided to wait until I was someplace where the connection was a billion times better. Anyway, here's the chapter; I hope everyone enjoys and will review. Thanks!

**Chapter 16: Safety:**

"You're late," I commented as Tony strolled towards me. It was clear he was scanning the area for possible dangers, though I really didn't think there were any.

"Sorry," he apologized, his voice echoing strangely through his helmet. "You know, paperwork and bureaucracy and all that. Gotta love those government types."

I sighed. "Well, I'd hug you as a hello, but I'm a little tied up at the moment –literally. A little help; please?"

To my surprise, Tony held up a hand, asking me to wait. "Hold on; let me give the SHIELD guys the 'OK' to come in."

Sighing again, I waited as he gave a signal that soon had agents swarming the building. As they did that, I heard someone calling my name. "Adena!" yelled a voice that made me wince, causing my split lip to reopen and bleed. I did _not_ want Cap to see me like this.

Sure enough, when he came up to kneel beside me, his blue eyes filled with anger and worry as he looked at me through his mask. "You're hurt," he said, reaching to untie the ropes around my extremities. "You're _bleeding_."

I knew right then and there that if I didn't stop him, he might just use his shield to beat the crap out of the unconscious Sharon Carter. Even though I'm sure the agents wouldn't stop him from doing too much damage, I felt a bit bad for her, and didn't want someone hurting her, not even Cap.

"Cap, I'm fine," I reassured him as my legs were liberated. "She smacked me around a little bit, but I'm not seriously hurt."

Then my hands were free, and I was being swept up into Cap's protective and loving arms. But rather than simply lifting me into a hug, he tucked one arm under my knees and the other around my waist, carrying me bridal style. Heaving a sigh of relief, I leaned my head against his chest and listened to the frantic beat of his heart. '_Wow, he must have been seriously worried about me_.'

Now that I was found and in Cap's arms, my body finally went slack as events caught up with me. I slipped into unconsciousness, fully confident that I'd wake up someplace safe.

* * *

It was all Steve could do, not running away from the swarm of SHIELD agents with Adena in his arms. He wanted to get her somewhere safe, where he could always keep an eye on her and never let her go ever again.

Glancing down at his sleeping beauty, he smiled as he remembered the day she'd first shown him that movie. It was one of her favorites, and he easily counted that day as one of his favorites, since it had been one of their 'stay home' dates. She'd been curled up against him, like she was now, and smiling peacefully as they watched the film.

Unbidden, Steve's eyes went to her lips. The bottom one had split and bled, leaving a scabbing wound that did not belong there. Her upper lip was swollen, but intact, and her entire mouth was beginning to peel, a sure sign that she needed water.

Hurrying towards Phil, who was ordering men on how to go about apprehending the unconscious Agent Carter, Steve gently placed his precious burden on the waiting gurney near the SHIELD medical van. "Let's get her out of here," he snapped, giving Phil a look that dared him to give a different order.

Phil nodded in understanding. "Get her to the medical center," he confirmed to the waiting agents. "Give her the best of everything, and make sure she's comfortable."

Leaping into the van, Steve sat and waited as Adena was loaded in after him, a ring of protective men and women around her as they headed into the top-secret SHIELD hospital.

* * *

Pacing outside Adena's room, Steve tried to keep calm by taking deep breaths, and failed. He was furious that this had happened for a third time, and silently vowed that this would be the absolute last time he left her alone. He would not lose her again.

Bruce Banner emerged through Adena's door, his eyes lighting on Steve and causing the good doctor to grin. He had been flown out to California on the fastest SHIELD airship as soon as he'd gotten word that Adena was in trouble, and had offered his medical services, if they were needed.

Obviously, they were; the minute Steve arrived with Adena, Bruce had taken charge of her situation and had been the one to take care of her. Since he was one of the few people Steve could trust with Adena's health, it helped ease some of his anxiety.

"She's fine," Bruce assured him. "She's slightly dehydrated and exhausted, but besides the split lip, some bruises, and a couple of rope burns, she's not been hurt too badly."

Steve felt his shoulders sag in relief. It was a miracle she was in such good shape, and that Sharon Carter hadn't done anything serious to her. "Can I see her?" he asked, feet carrying him towards the door as he spoke.

Bruce put a hand on his shoulder. "She's asleep. I gave her a sedative so that she could be examined without causing any discomfort. She also needed rest."

"I still want to see her," Steve insisted. "Can I at least sit next to her while she sleeps?"

To his relief, Bruce nodded. "As long as you don't try to wake her up, it should be fine."

Without another word, Steve headed into the dimly lit hospital room and closed the door behind him. Finally alone with her, he went to the chair beside her bed and sat down, eyes lingering on her sleeping form as he took stock of the damage.

Like the last time she'd been taken, Adena was attached to plastic bags of medicine and fluids that would help her heal. Along one cheek was a bruise that was darkening to purple –it ran close to her mouth, which held that nasty split, but it was scabbing over very well. He was relieved that the blood that had trickled out of her lip had been cleaned up –he couldn't bear seeing her hurt like that.

'_But at least she's safe now_,' he told himself.

And finally, the part of him that had been struck hard by her capture could heal, too, though Steve would probably never forgive Agent Carter for what she'd done to his girl. Even Loki hadn't hit Adena when she'd been in his clutches, so what Agent Carter had done to her said a lot about the type of person she was.

'_I'll have to ask Director Fury about what he plans to do with her, now that she's in custody_.'

But in the meantime, Steve would sit back and wait however long it took for Adena to wake up.

* * *

"Wake up, Rogers," a soft male voice said, shaking his shoulder. "Come on, you need to get some rest."

Sitting up, Steve looked at Tony's amused expression and groaned as he tried to stretch his muscles, several popping as the blood flowed back into them. Heaving a sigh of relief, Steve looked over to see Adena still asleep, a contented and relaxed expression on her battered face.

"She'll be fine," Tony assured him. "You've been here for hours. Why don't you go get something to eat, take a quick trip to the bathroom for a shower, and come back? Bruce and I can take turns looking after here while you get yourself together."

"I'm not leaving her," Steve stubbornly insisted, looking over at the bed. "What if she wakes up while I'm gone? I don't want her waking up without me next to her."

Tony sighed and rolled his eyes. "I don't think she'd be happy to know that you stayed here, going hungry and smelly while she slept. To be honest, you haven't eaten or cleaned up since this whole mess started, and I doubt she'd thank you for greeting her in the shape you're in."

Looking down at himself, Steve realized he was still in his Captain America uniform, though he couldn't for the life of him remember what had happened to his shield. '_One of the agents must have taken it from me while I was looking after Adena_.'

And maybe Tony was right –Steve hadn't eaten a thing in ages, and he probably could use a bit of a cleanup. "Fine. But the second she wakes up, you tell me," Steve firmly told him.

Grinning, Tony gave a mock salute. "Understood, Captain," he joked. "Now go to it. Bruce and I will keep you posted."

Slowly getting to his feet, Steve went to lean over his girl, and gently pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'll be back," he whispered before turning to leave.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Steve headed into Adena's room, where Tony and Bruce were having a quiet conversation about her status. "I'm just glad she's holding up so well," Bruce was saying, standing beside the bed so that he could check one of the machines Adena was hooked up to. "After all she's been through, I'm amazed she's come out sane and in one piece each time."

"Of course she did," Tony snorted from his seat in one of the chairs beside the bed. "The girl's tough. I'm more worried about how _Rogers_ is going to make it through this than I am about _her_!"

"I heard that," Steve replied with a smile. "And I'm fine, thanks."

Bruce gave him a skeptical once-over. "Not from what I hear. Let me guess: you took the fastest shower you could, changed, and headed back here without eating something. Am I right?"

Steve just gave him a smile and went to take the last vacant chair next to the bed. Tony, meanwhile, rolled his eyes as he got up from his chair. "I'll go find someone to get food for all of us," he sighed, as though the act required a huge amount of effort on his part. "Back in a few."

Left alone with Bruce, Steve scooted a bit closer to the bed so that he could take Adena's hand in his. "Is she going to wake up soon?" he asked, eyes not leaving her face. "It's been a while."

"It'll take as long as it takes," Bruce replied. "She's been through a lot. Right now she needs to rest so that she can physically heal. Any mental and emotional trauma will take a lot of help and understanding on your part, but physical rest can help that a bit, too."

Nodding, Steve swallowed down a lump of anger for the person who'd done this. "What about Agent Carter?" he wanted to know. "What's going to be done about _her_?"

Bruce sighed and went to take the chair that Tony had abandoned. "Strangely enough, she's in a strange type of coma and we can't figure out why. I'm guessing some sort of mental breakdown had something to do with it, but even after all the scans we did, nobody can figure out why she's in that state. It's fascinating, of course, and mindboggling, but also worrisome."

"Well, if she's stuck being that way, then she can't hurt Adena anymore," Steve said flatly, his hand squeezing hers. "If Agent Carter were to wake up, though, what will Director Fury do with her?"

The doctor shook his head. "I have no idea. I haven't heard anything about it, not even from Phil Coulson, so I'm assuming they're still debating. At best, they'll throw her out of the agency; worst case would be they imprison her somewhere dark, dank, and inescapable."

"Sounds like my old high school," croaked a voice from the bed.

* * *

I heard Cap say my name right before he kissed me, long and hard. When he finally pulled away, I was beyond dazed from his kiss –well, that and probably the drugs that were presently being pumped into my veins.

"Wow," I whispered. "Now _that_ was a nice greeting."

Bruce laughed as Cap pressed another kiss to my forehead. "I'm so glad you're alright," my boyfriend whispered, moving to kiss the top of my ear.

Smiling, I winced as the wounds on my lips tugged against the clotting scabs. Cap immediately frowned while Bruce reached for a tissue to dab up whatever blood was escaping.

"Thanks," I managed to say as Bruce pulled the slightly stained tissue and Cap poured a cup of water, a white plastic straw poking out of the cup so that I could sip and not get my scabs wet.

Just after I finished the water, a knock sounded at the door, right before Tony breezed in with several nurses bearing trays of covered dishes. "Oh, good, you're awake," he greeted me, adding a wink. "Just in time, too, because food's on!"

Organized chaos followed as Cap went to help set the food up on movable tables and Bruce made it so I could sit up in bed and eat. For me, there was chicken noodle soup with soft veggies in it, crackers, and a cup of Jell-O, while the guys had burgers and fries. Cap was concerned that I wouldn't have enough to eat, but I assured him it was fine; I wasn't that hungry anyway, and was content with that the nurses had brought me. Bruce tried convincing him that soup was exactly what I needed, but I don't think Cap agreed with him.

After the dishes were cleared of food and taken away, Tony gave me a grin and reached into his jean pocket, pulling out JT with a grand flourish before handing my wonderful little computer to me. "Here you are, safe and sound. He's gotten a bit of an upgrade, too, since I felt he deserved it."

"It's a good thing he was working so well when you were taken," Bruce commented, crossing his arms as his eyes darted to the machines keeping track of my health. "And I'm pretty surprised that Agent Carter didn't search you and take JT from you."

"She was probably too possessed and out of it to even think about searching me," I told him.

All three men looked at me, though it was Cap who asked, "What do you mean?"

I stuck my tongue out so that I could moisten my lower lip. "I hate to say it, but I don't think she was acting like herself. I think someone, or something, was pulling her strings and making her act the way she was."

Slowly shifting in my hospital bed, I admitted, "I don't think she's really a bad person, if she were her usual self. But I don't think the Sharon Carter I was abducted by is the person everyone at SHIELD actually knows."

The guys didn't look convinced, but it looked like they'd at least try to think about what I'd said, which I took to be a good sign. To change the subject, I looked over at Bruce. "So, when can I get out of here? Please say it's soon."

He smiled. "A few days, at least. We need to make sure you're doing okay before we ship you back to New York."

I stared at him. "I'm going back to New York? But what about my vacation?"

Cap actually returned my stare with one of his own. "You're not serious."

"Of course I am," I retorted. "I'm not going to let this get in the way of us having a good time! I've already let that happen for too long, and now that we've finally got that monkey off our back, I want to have a carefree vacation." I scowled. "Preferably without a spy following us, thank you very much."

Bruce shook his head. "You and the Captain can talk about it when you're better. For now, you need rest, and lots of it."

I was about to reply that I already felt like I'd had plenty of rest, but was interrupted by someone knocking on the door. "Oh, good; more visitors," I mumbled as the door opened. The person who stepped through lifted my spirits considerably. "Phil!"

Cap actually pouted a little. "Why does it seem like you're happier to see him than you were to see me?" he asked teasingly.

"Because he gets to tell me whether or not it's safe for me to go back on vacation or not," I replied in a mockingly snide tone.

Phil smiled and shook his head. "Trust me; it's safe for you to go when Doctor Banner says it is. We've caught the ones that helped Agent Carter abduct you, and are dealing with them, so you're in the clear."

Cap sat back in his chair, giving Phil a skeptical and critical look. "And what about the future?" he wanted to know. "Will we have to worry about more agents following us around every time we go on vacation?"

Phil held his hands up in surrender. "No, no more agents tailing you –Director Fury is absolutely firm on that one. From now on, if we want to keep an eye on you, we'll do it from a distance."

I sagged back on my bed. "Well, that's a relief." I paused. "So, what are you going to do about Agent Carter? Are you going to lock her up?"

He sighed. "We're still trying to figure that out. Right now, she's in a deep state of unconsciousness, and it doesn't look like she's going to come out of it anytime soon. The best we can hope for is that she wakes up so that we can interrogate her about this whole mess."

"But for now, she's safely tucked away in a secured hospital room," Bruce assured me. "There are guards at the door, and a camera trained on her bed 24/7, so we can keep an eye on her."

I felt a yawn creeping up my throat, and tried to suppress it, but failed. The others immediately spotted me trying to hide it, and Cap ushered everyone out, saying that I needed to rest and that we could all talk tomorrow, when I felt better.

Smiling at his over-protectiveness, I let him give me a kiss before he settled down into the chair beside my bed. "You don't have to sit there," I insisted as I began to relax. "There's got to be somewhere else you can stay while I'm here."

"I wouldn't dream of it," he replied as my eyes drifted closed.

* * *

Sitting back in his chair, Loki sighed in resignation. The game was over –he had lost. Well, at least there was no way for the mortals to inform Odin of what had happened. Even if they guessed it was his influence that had caused this particular mayhem, they could not tell the All-Father about it. In this, Loki would get away with his crime and get no punishment.

"Loki?" a voice suddenly called from the other room. "Come here."

It was an order made by one who could be disobeyed here in Asgard. It would be unwise to do so, and in the end, Loki went, obeying Odin's command. When he reached the room, however, he saw that the All-Father was not alone. With him were numerous guards and a few of Odin's most trusted craftsmen and magicians. In one of their hands was a helmet, something that made Loki all the more cautious and curious about.

"Once again I have underestimated you," Odin declared, tightly gripping his spear, the symbol of his power. "And again I have been too lenient. You see, Loki, I myself have kept a close watch upon you and your actions. I have seen what you've done to the poor mortal women below, neither one of whom has given you cause to seek vengeance against them."

The All-Father sighed. "I had thought that you would improve and give second thought to seeking revenge for causes that do not truly exist. I was wrong. You have caused pain when it was not needed, and attempted to use another to do your work, all the while twisting a mortal's true self to serve your own purposes."

Raising his hand, Odin tapped the floor once with his spear. At that signal, the guards leaped forward, all of them quick to subdue Loki before he could cry out. "Today, the judgment against you is swifter, and more severe."

Now it was one of the craftsmen who stepped forward, the one holding the helmet in his hands. Too late, Loki realized what this was, and as he was held fast, his hair gripped and twisted around the fingers of two of the guards, he yelled and cursed his defiance as the helmet was slipped over his head.

Then he was free, and as soon as he realized this was so, Loki realized that the helmet had somehow molded to his head. The metal was soft, like cloth, but under his questing fingers, he knew that there was very powerful magic in it.

"This helmet will fully block the powers of your mind," Odin explained, his strong voice carrying throughout the room. "It cannot be removed by any hand save mine, and will keep you from interfering in the lives of mortals, as well as others, for as long as you wear it."

Loki grit his teeth. "And how long with that be?" he asked, furious at this injustice.

Odin merely looked back at him, no sign of regret in his lone eye. "For as long as it takes," he merely said. "Rest well."

Then Loki was alone in the room, his fingers desperately trying to find a way to get the helmet off. Of course, it was too late –it was part of him, and would not move.

Yelling out his fury, Loki turned and began to tear apart his room, sending items flying.

* * *

AN: Next chapter will be the last of the trilogy!


	17. Epilogue

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing related to Marvel, either the comics, movies, TV shows, etc. All of that belongs to the Disney Corporation (though I might try kidnapping Captain America and Hawkeye some day, just for fun).

AN: Technically, this is the last chapter of the trilogy, but I'll be posting a few one-shots regarding what happens to Cap and Adena afterwards, so keep an eye out for those. There won't be many, just three or four, but that's all. Thanks for sticking with me through this entire series of stories; I so very much appreciate it. See you at the next posting!

**Chapter 17: Epilogue:**

"All clear," Bruce cheerfully told me, much to my relief. "Still, I want you to take it easy for a while. Your MRI and X-Rays may have come back clean, but that doesn't mean you should be overdoing it, especially after all you've been through."

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks, Mom," I sarcastically replied. "I'll keep that in mind."

Beside me, Cap chuckled. "Don't mind her, Bruce; Adena's just upset that you've kept her here for a week. She's been bored out of her mind and wants out of here as soon as possible."

"Dang right I do," I retorted. "I want to go finish what's left of our vacation, and then go home."

Bruce laughed and offered a helping hand off of the exam table. "Well, that's fine with me, but only if you take it easy. If you feel dizzy or strange a couple weeks from now, you call me or Phil ASAP."

Before I could give another sarcastic reply, Bruce gave me a gentle shove towards the door. "Now, be good for the poor Captain. After all, he's the one who has to put up with you."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "Funny. I promise to try and _not_ give him as much trouble as I've given you, but if he's going to hover over me all the time, then he's asking for it."

Cap shifted a little uneasily, but stayed quiet. He knew I was right about the hovering –the poor guy had been sleeping on a cot in my hospital room, and hadn't left at all for any reason. My boyfriend's meals and clean clothes were brought to him by Phil, whenever the agent came to check up on me, and Cap was given use of the room next to mine so that he could shower and clean up. Other than that, he never left my side.

"I just don't want anything else to happen to you," Cap constantly insisted whenever I told him to go get some sleep or to go eat something other than hospital food.

It was sweet of him, but after a week of being doted on by Phil, Bruce, and Cap, I was ready to go. The only people who hadn't dropped by were Tony and Pepper, and that was because Pepper didn't want to add to the group of overprotective folks I already had.

"So, Pepper and Tony are going to be here in a couple hours to pick the two of you up and take you off to a nice hotel here in San Francisco," Bruce informed me. "The four of you will hang out there until you're ready to head back to New York."

I looked at him. "What about you?"

He smiled. "I'm heading back tonight. I've got a few new experiments going on, and I don't want to leave them for very long."

I should have felt hurt, but instead, I was flattered that Bruce had left New York just to come take care of me. "Thanks, Bruce," I said, leaning to press a kiss to his cheek. "I appreciate everything you've done for me."

"For us," Cap put in as we made our way to the door.

"Remember not to overdo it!" Bruce called as Cap and I made our way to the front of the hospital.

We'd just approached a intersecting hallway when a group of doctors went by, talking quietly and ignoring us completely. I heard something about a 'coma' and someone being awake enough to answer questions, but that was enough –I knew who they were talking about. She _was_, after all, the only person in a coma in this super-secret SHIELD medical center.

Glancing over at Cap, I could see that he knew what I wanted to do. "No," he flatly told me.

I sighed. "Come on, Cap," I pleaded. "You know there are a lot of questions I have, and she's the one who can answer them!"

He crossed his arms. "No. After everything she's done to you, why would you want to ask her questions face-to-face? You know Phil would do that for you."

"But _I _want to do it," I half pleaded, half whined. "Please, Cap; let me do this."

But of course, that was when Phil came striding up from an opposite hallway, his face serious as he said, "Agent Carter would like to see you."

* * *

"I'm sorry for what happened," Agent Carter said, straight off. She was strapped to the bed as a precaution, but oddly enough, she wasn't trying to get lose and attack me.

At those words, I don't know who was more surprised: me or Cap. We hadn't even been in the room more than a minute before that sentence had been spilled out, so it was easy to imagine our shock.

"Um, okay," I awkwardly replied, looking over at Phil to see if Agent Carter really was 'all there.'

"I mean it," she impatiently declared, getting my attention again. "I know that I was a real bitch to you for all those weeks. That's not who I usually am, and I asked Agent Coulson to bring you here so that I could tell you that I'm sorry for everything I did."

The way she looked at us, calmly and fully collected, convinced me that she really was in her right mind. Cap didn't seem sure, and neither did Phil, but I believed her.

"So, what caused your sudden change in personality?" I asked, since Cap seemed determined to stand there in disapproving silence. "Psychological breakdown? Stress? Some kind of head injury?"

Agent Carter sighed and shook her head. "I honestly don't know. To tell you the truth, I don't think I've been functioning right ever since Loki set foot on Director Fury's hovercraft. Everything after that day seems like a bad dream, or a nightmare that I lived and can vividly remember."

At that point, Cap, Phil and I exchanged looks. Had Loki somehow managed to sink his claws into another human being? If so, how had he done it this time –and why?

"I don't think I could answer any questions you might have about Loki and his motives for doing all this," Agent Carter warned us. "I think that I was just the puppet, or 'means', for him to get whatever he wanted done."

Phil sighed. "If that's the case, we'll probably never know a whole lot about this situation. As things stand, Director Fury isn't taking any chances –he wants Agent Carter set up in a psych ward for a few months, just to be sure of her mental stability."

"For Christ's sake, Phil, I know I'm perfectly sane," she retorted. "I know I blew it, but that wasn't my fault."

She looked over at Cap. "Believe me, Captain Rogers; I have no intention of stealing you away from your girlfriend. Given how much my Aunt Peggy cared for you, I'm sure you're a great guy, and I respect you and everything you've done for this planet. But to be honest, you're not the type of guy I'm looking for, though you probably suit Miss Philips just fine."

I couldn't help it –I almost sagged with relief. The presence I'd felt when I'd been around her before was gone; whatever had been haunting her and using her was gone, and all that was left was the real Sharon Carter.

Cap, meanwhile, didn't seem too happy. "You can't seriously believe her," he said, scowling.

"Sorry to disagree with you, but I do," I replied. "A week or so ago, Agent Carter was willing to rip my head off in an effort to get to you. If she were still in that mentality, I'd be a bloody mess on the floor right now, because she wouldn't be making any effort to hold back."

Agent Carter actually gave me a genuine smile. "Please, call me Sharon," she pleaded. "And it's true; if I wanted to, I'd have escaped out of this bed ages ago."

Knowing she was right, I managed to return Sharon's smile. "You can let her up, Phil. I don't think she's going to be a problem for us anymore."

"I would if I could, Adena, but the Director was pretty clear with his orders," Phil said, crossing his arms as he looked at the restrained agent with a lot of doubt. "Agent Carter is to be kept strapped down until we can transfer her to a secure location. Once the psychologists are convinced she's sound of mind, we'll let her go and put her back into the field. But for now, she stays as she is."

Sharon heaved such a heavy sigh of disappointment and resignation that I couldn't help but feel bad for her. "He's right. Director Fury knows what's best for the agency, and for the greater good. I'll go along with whatever he's got planned for me, no matter what it is. He's a good man, and a better boss, so I've no trouble following orders."

At those words, Phil relaxed just the tiniest bit, surprising both me and Cap. "Well, that's the Sharon Carter I know," he said. "If you keep this progress up, you'll be back in the field in no time."

Cap still didn't look convinced. "What was it like, being under Loki's control?" he bluntly asked, getting straight to the heart of what he wanted to know.

She closed her eyes, as though trying to both remember and forget what she'd felt and experienced as Loki's puppet. "It was like all of my fantasies, both good and bad, had been smashed together," Sharon explained. "I felt like, for some reason, part of me thought that Captain Rogers was exactly what I wanted in a partner in life, even though deep inside, I knew that wasn't right. It also felt like I had a right or entitlement to his feelings, like he belonged to me because of who I was and who I was related to. It also felt like I had the right to take down anyone who got in the way of what I wanted. I can't explain it much better than that."

Opening her eyes, she continued. "Once in a while, at least at first, part of me wondered why I was doing things that went against everything my aunt had taught me. But as I spent more time close to you two, I felt as though I were getting more and more obsessed with what I thought was rightfully mine, and any bit of conscience that I had disappeared until Miss Philips told me to actually think about what I was doing, and why. It snapped me back to when I began feeling that way, and I think that's what broke Loki's hold on me."

Her blue eyes darted over to me. "I can't thank you enough for freeing me like that. I think that, if you hadn't done what you did, I'd have probably done something seriously harmful to you. And if I had, then I doubt Tony Stark would have been very merciful when he busted into the warehouse."

I had to smile a little at that. "Yeah, he probably would have blown you into putty." I looked over at my boyfriend. "And I don't think he'd have been the only one."

Cap blushed a little, but didn't correct me. "I think it's time to go," he declared. "You _do_ want to start eating real food again, right?"

Oh, real food! "Cheeseburger," I blurted out as Cap chuckled. "Promise me we'll get burgers! And fries and shakes?"

Phil shook his head. "Go, before Tony and Pepper get here. I'll have an agent take you there and back."

Turning back to the woman in the bed, I gave her a concerned look. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?" I asked. "I mean, really? You aren't just playing the tough agent, are you?"

"I'll be fine," Sharon said, lifting one hand just enough to wave her fingers at me. "Don't worry about me; I've been interrogated the world's most deadly spies and officials in some of the dankest, most depressing places in the world. A psych ward will be like a walk in the park compared to that."

"She'll be fine, Adena," Phil whispered, leaning over so that only I could hear him. "I'll keep you posted, if you want, but I don't think it would be a good idea for you to worry about it too much. She's a tough woman; she'll be okay."

Cap was pulling at my arm. "Come on; we need to go now, if we want to make it to the burger place and back before Tony gets here. You know how he hates to wait."

"Okay," I reluctantly agreed. "Thanks for talking to us, Sharon. I hope things work out okay for you."

It wasn't until Cap and I were on our way out the front door that I realized I would probably never see Sharon Carter again. And that made me sad, because I really did think that she would be a pretty good friend to have. Maybe, sometime in the future, I'll ask Phil about contacting her.

For now, though, I was happy to be free to enjoy my life again.

* * *

Watching Adena sleep contentedly in her bed, Steve smiled. It was good to see her sleep so deeply, especially after everything she'd been through. She didn't know it, but when she'd been in the hospital, she'd had several nights where she tossed and turned, her dreams troubled by nightmares and memories of her brief time in Agent Carter's hands. She never remembered them afterward, but Steve did.

Ever since she'd faced Agent Carter, however, she'd been sleeping better. It had made for a much happier Adena, and a nice finish to their vacation.

Now that they were back in New York, Steve felt that things would only be getting better, if only because they were now safely home again. Adena was happy with being back at the apartment, and was already planning ahead with his reeducation of the world.

'_The routine will be good for both of us_,' he thought to himself as she rolled over in the bed, a soft sigh escaping her lips.

Her sudden movement caused something inside him to shift and change. Just now, there was an unexpected longing inside him, and before Steve could stop himself, he'd softly approached the bed and stretched out next to her, wrapping an arm around Adena's waist as she faced away from him. Her body went stiff for brief second, then relaxed, her back fitting snugly against his chest.

And even though Steve should have been scandalized at his behavior, he couldn't find himself feeling that way. It felt right, lying like this –Adena safe and secure and warm in his arms, her breathing deep and content as she slept. Inside, Steve felt that everything was right in the world.

That was how he knew that, after today, he didn't want to live without the love, respect and understanding of the woman beside him. So, of course, there was only one thing to do. But that wouldn't happen anytime soon.

Well, not _too_ soon, anyway. Right now, things were perfect as they were, and he would enjoy them.

* * *

AN: End of the story series! Keep an eye out for the one-shots, though, for more fun with Steve and Adena. Please review, and thanks so much for sticking with me throughout this whole trilogy!


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